The St. Landry Crime Stoppers Board, in conjunction with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, begins a new anti-litter campaign: “Stow It, Don’t Throw It”.
The initiative will be enacted parish-wide and will work on showcasing violators and changing the mind-set of everyone, according to a news release from St. Landry Crime Stoppers.
Wildlife and Fisheries agents have already been working to combat littering throughout the state. This state agency was instrumental in passing and amending legislation to strengthen the laws and increase fines for littering.
Now, a cooperative effort will attack the problem in St. Landry Parish. Crime Stoppers will pay $150 for every anonymous tip that results in enforcement action, either by citation or arrest.
Citizens can provide a photo of the vehicle and license plate, the trash disposed and the location. Photos of individuals actually littering will be accepted as well. These will be accepted through St. Landry Crime Stoppers as are all other tips. The violators will be shown once a month.
“Now, many of you are probably thinking that littering isn’t one of the most serious things out there, but you’d be wrong. It is a problem that starts out small and can lead to very serious consequences,” stated spokesman Major Mark LeBlanc, St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office public information officer.
A recent flooding event demonstrates this, he stated. LeBlanc noted photos taken the day after a major rain event show clogged drains, flooded streets and flooding on personal property primarily caused by litter.
You can submit tips by entering **TIPS on any mobile device. Remember to download our P3 app and “Tap the App” and “Say It Here” to submit anonymous tips.
