Dumping Trash Again

Jag · Jun 4, 2001

Some of you will recall my on going battle with people dumping down at our little bridge. Here is a latest. The month of May was a county wide clean-up. No charge at the dump. Also the county would come pick up any large items.. Sunday afternoon late I drove past the bridge down the road aways. There was a newly dumped sink, counter top, freezer,big gas heater, and some misc. Upon checking I found the an old medical report with an address from the house that was being remodeled... This time I went to the county judge. In Arkansas he is the one responsible for the maintence of county roads. The county judge said to come on down and he would have a county sheriff in. Well the short of it is, the sheriff would check into it. If they could find who was responsible the sheriff would write a letter to the party giving them 5 days to pick up the stuff. If not removed by then the sheriff would write a ticket. The judge was embarassed and would not even look me in the eye. I am thinking. " If I steal a truck and some finds it out, and reports it, then the sheriff will check it out and if they find I did it, they would send me a letter and then give me 5 days to take it back." Well after I left some words must have been exchanged. The junk was removed before 7:00 this evening. I can not wait to here what the county judge says... But the whole thing does not make me feel very good about the local law-inforcement...

Richard · Jun 5, 2001

Jag, is this to imply that the JUDGE is the guilty offender?? /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Richard

Jag · Jun 5, 2001

Richard, oh no did not mean to imply the judge had anyting to do with the trash. The big thing with the judge was that here all the county officals and city officals have spent the past month in all the county papers and local news making this big push to clean up the county. They had the city and county road crews picking up trash at several special trash drop off points. We are talking "Big Push to Pick Up Trash". Then here right beside him is a sheriff's officer that is really saying ' they can break the law and dump trash and we will not do anything about it but make them pick up the trash if someone will report it and bring us proof of who did it. It be the sheriff's office that gave me the gas.

heehaw · Jun 5, 2001

I'm not sure where your located, guess i could check your profile, but i was told fairly recently, and from what i consider a reliable source; the Ar State Forestry is now responsible for investigating dumping; i don't think they would have gotten any faster action than you got, but i have seen them in action, going thru dumps and getting names and doing all the things you mentioned.
heehaw

Jag · Jun 5, 2001

Heehaw, thanks for the imput. I will have to check into the State Forestry. It was also came out this last week the state law was changed on littering that a conviction is now mandatory mimium $100 and 8 hour community service. It could go up to $10,000 for dumping. The county judge did while I was in his office order new no dumping signs put up at this trouble spot. But my point is what good is it, I get the information on who did it and the sheriff gives them 5 days to clean it up before he decides that the person really broke the law and tickets him.

Jag · Jun 5, 2001

Heehaw, I checked your profile. I see you are just up the road from me. You see I am from Conway county if that helps explain anything. Ha, ha.

M. Sullivan · Jun 5, 2001

Would think they would use this as a great example to prevent future dumping in their region. Make an example of the guy--throw the book at them penalty-wise, and publish the story with his name in the paper. Considering what he left you, he deserves no less.

Or, if you're looking for a little payback, put an ad in the paper with his address listed asking for used tires to be dropped-off on a specific date from 9am - 3pm to help build a retaining wall!! Happened around here a few years back, and the guy ended up with around a hundred tires on his lawn. Not sure what he did to deserve it, but what a sight. Guess the person who ran the ad even put a sign up after he left for work in the morning. That made the paper, too.

patrickg · Jun 9, 2001

In the enlightened state of Oklahoma, county of Pottawatomie: Most action I can get on literers is IF I get their lisc plate one of the deputies, as a favor, will run it, ID the owner, and call them to remind them of the law and possible penalties should the deputy catch them in the act. This is because the deputy is wiling to go beyond the status quo. If I have tresspassers A N D I call the sheriff's office A N D they aren't doing anything else A N D they feel like it A N D they actually arrive in time THEN they will warn the violator. I'm told that the prosecutor won't pursue these issues unless it is a multi-repeat offender, guns are involved, or worse. I've been wondering... If I post a sign declaring the fee to "nature walk" or whatever and someone doesn't pay A N D the fee were high enough then wouldn't that be theft? What about a trash dumping fee of $2000? Non payment would be serious. Since I'm such a BAD guy, I think I may post exhorbitant fishing fees with riduculously high per fish and per pound rates. If no one will arrest them for tresspass or fishing without a lisc. maybe I could try theft. I digress.......

I'm considering video surveilance for liter bugs.

Patrick

jinman · Jun 9, 2001

I have a deep gulley/valley where people park on the road and sneak into my place to fish in my ponds and lake. I recently put some targets on the other side of the valley. The last time I saw someone coming down the gulley, I decided to do some target practice. They left, I got my gun sighted-in, and problem solved./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I suspect the word got out, because I have had zero trespassers since. People generally won't walk through your rifle range./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

JimI