Litterbugs beware...

YOU HAVE probably seen them in their green uniforms walking the streets of Port-of-Spain and other urban centres throughout Trinidad. Litter Prevention Wardens have been on the beat for the past seven months, trying to improve on the appearance of the city and other commercial areas.

“There is a culture of littering in Trinidad,” Sandra Timothy, administrative officer at the City Corporation told Sunday Newsday.

“Since the litter wardens system was implemented there has been a visible improvement.” Egbert Williams, supervisor of the Litter Prevention Wardens and Marvin Fairbarn, tactical officer and team leader, agree that the wardens are making a difference. “We deal with possibly over 100 people a day,” Williams explained. “We are not here to just charge, we are also here to educate the people, making sure they understand that littering is an offense.”

Fairban added that for the most part their interactions with the public are positive.

The wardens enforce litter laws, first by issuing a fixed penalty notice to offenders who are ordered to pay a $50 fine within ten days.

If the fine is not paid after 21 days, offenders are summoned to court where they are ordered to pay a fine of $1000. For corporate offenders the fine is $2000.

At present there are 11 Litter Prevention Wardens in Port-of-Spain who start work at 8.30 am. Throughout the day they deal with pedestrians, vendors and business people, warning them to be careful of where and how they dump rubbish. Now that the wardens are regularly on the beat, many of the street vendors operating on George, Prince, Charlotte and Park Streets have cleaned up their acts and are now placing their garbage in boxes and bags instead of carelessly tossing them out on the streets.

The litter wardens say they take their job very seriously, carrying out regular mobile patrols in Belmont, St James, Sea Lots and Woodbrook.

They also organise special surveillance projects at nights, carrying out intense investigations to find offenders.

Armed with gloves and face masks, the wardens dig deep into garbage bags, searching for any evidence that would provide a link to a business or company.

So far the wardens have issued 33 tickets and have taken 15 cases to court, eight of which have been successfully prosecuted.

At present there are six litter cases pending in court.