ADOT Litter Hotline

joebartels · Post by **joebartels** » Jul 24 2002 5:56 pm

This won't help the trails much but...

ADOT implemented a Hotline for reporting those that litter

If you see somebody littering from a car, jot down their license plate number and the location. Then call it in.
602-712-4683 or
1-877-354-8837

I'm sure most saw this on the news today. But figured some may not have had paper and pencil handy. Not a bad number for the cell phone memory.

jeremy77777 · Post by **jeremy77777** » Jul 24 2002 7:25 pm

Will they get a fined?

joebartels · Post by **joebartels** » Jul 24 2002 8:39 pm

No, they get a letter from ADOT.

It's a start!

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Jul 24 2002 9:38 pm

Does this include those mullet-heads who toss out burning cigarette butts?

Cakewalk · Post by **Cakewalk** » Jul 24 2002 10:33 pm

I sure hope so.... I will keep a pad of paper in my car to write down numbers.

GTG_AZH · Post by **GTG_AZH** » Jul 25 2002 12:35 am

Oh boy, can't wait to use this one. I heard it on the radio this morning.
I wonder what a person will do or think when they get a letter. Hopefully it will change their ways.

GTG

jeremy77777 · Post by **jeremy77777** » Jul 25 2002 5:26 am

They would probably laugh at it.

evenstarx3 · Post by **evenstarx3** » Jul 25 2002 6:33 am

Or throw it out their car window!

joebartels · Post by **joebartels** » Jul 25 2002 9:04 am

This is like locks. It keeps the honest people honest.

Taking away the temptation solves a majority of the problem.

Daryl · Post by **Daryl** » Jul 25 2002 11:12 am

It's a good start, but I don't think it will help much.
I doubt that the bottom feeding scum sucking low lifes that think it's okay to throw there trash and butts where ever they please will care much about a letter in the mail (if they can even read it).

CindyC · Post by **CindyC** » Jul 25 2002 1:21 pm

Hooli's got it right

joebartels · Post by **joebartels** » Jul 25 2002 1:42 pm

I'm not saying it's a concrete solution.

Five years from now they can look back on the numbers.

If 50,000 incidents are reported the first year. Say less are reported each following year and the litter is reduced, it's working.

If not then you have concrete data that it's not working.

However, if only ten incidents are reported then the state will assume nobody cares and it won't go anywhere.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't believe Arizona is pioneering this technique. It's been choosen off of statistics from other states.

I've heard lots of what everybody frowns upon and won't work. Let's hear your ideas on what will work!

Daryl · Post by **Daryl** » Jul 25 2002 3:32 pm

I'd like to see the current laws enforced, with stiffer penalties. Has anyone ever even heard of someone getting a ticket for littering? I'd like to see home many littering tickets are actually handed out.

Isn't the maximum fine $500? Would people think twice about throwing trash out the window if the fine was $5,000 (and/or jail time) and there were a few news stories of people getting tickets?
How about community service? If you get busted for littering, you need to spend 40 hours of community service cleaning litter off the streets while wearing a pink t-shirt that says "I'm a litter bug" in big letters, front and back.

jeremy77777 · Post by **jeremy77777** » Jul 25 2002 3:58 pm

Inly time will tell the tale

CindyC · Post by **CindyC** » Jul 25 2002 4:48 pm

As I said before. Colorado Springs is one of the cleanest cities I've ever seen. It is posted everywhere and enforced '$2000.00 fine for littering' Either the general population cares more about their environment or the threat of the fine makes an impact.

joebartels · Post by **joebartels** » Jul 25 2002 5:05 pm

Cleaner than Scottsdale?

CindyC · Post by **CindyC** » Jul 25 2002 5:39 pm

Not sure. Maybe it has something to do with the beautiful scenery. I don't think I've ever even seen a cig. butt on the ground.

Cakewalk · Post by **Cakewalk** » Jul 25 2002 7:09 pm

Denver is the same $1000 fine strictly enforced - sign everywhere.

GTG_AZH · Post by **GTG_AZH** » Jul 25 2002 10:48 pm

Not to make light of a serious subject but I always gotta go for the laugh, especially at CJG's expense.

If you get busted for littering, you need to spend 40 hours of community service cleaning litter off the streets while wearing a pink t-shirt that says "I'm a litter bug" in big letters, front and back.

Or worse yet, while wearing a pink t-shirt that says "I own a cute Jeep" 8O

....and CJG steps in for his turn at a dig on GTG.

GTG

kurthzone · Post by **kurthzone** » Jul 26 2002 12:53 pm

The following bit of information was found at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/litter/fines.html :

Litter Fines

In 2001, the Department of Ecology (Ecology) conducted several focus groups to explore knowledge and attitudes towards littering among key audiences. Demographic research indicates that the key audience (litterers) tend to be young (16-35), single, and male. People who participated in the focus group research admitted to a variety of littering behaviors including tossing cigarette butts, tossing alcoholic beverage containers, tossing food wrappers or other beverage containers, not covering or securing loads, or simply not cleaning out the back of their pickup truck. When asked what would convince them to not litter, a clear theme emerged. "Knowing I will be caught and fined," was the number one deterrent to littering. Hearing what the fines are was new information for the research participants.

In the litter survey, both focus group and telephone survey participants endorsed the use of fines and community service to curb littering behavior. The Litter Task Force recommended that the Legislature and Ecology encourage Washington State Patrol and local governments to enforce litter laws and that local penalties "be set at levels sufficient to provide meaningful incentives for compliance." While many support the use of enforcement, studies show that few states are able to enforce littering laws effectively for two reasons: lack of personnel available for such a low priority issue and the fact that it is difficult to "catch" offenders in the act.

Also found this site to be informative:

http://www.kab.org/index.cfm

ADOT Litter Hotline

ADOT Litter Hotline

Oh Boy - Litter Patrol

Not to make light of a serious subject but,