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Trash Troopers Target Litterbugs

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By YVETTE C. HAMMETT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 12, 2008

SEFFNER - An area long targeted by litterbugs as an easy mark will soon have its own band of "Trash Troopers" ready to report anyone they see tossing debris from vehicles.

Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful will kick off a pilot project July 18, when volunteers fan out into a neighborhood off Kingsway Road and hang information about the program on doors at every house.

"This is a program that's been tried in other areas around the state, and it's been successful," said Christine Commerce, executive director of Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful, a nonprofit group focused on preventing and cleaning up litter. "It's something I always felt was important for our organization to take on.

"People want to be able to do something," Commerce said.

The Hillsborough County Solid Waste Management Department is sponsoring the program.

People who see litterbugs in the act often are frustrated because they can't do anything about it, Commerce said. Now, residents in Thonotosassa, Seffner and Mango can call 877-Y-LITTER and report littering and or illegal dumping.

An electronic message will ask callers to report the date, time and location of the incident, a vehicle license number, the color and make of the vehicle and a brief description of what they saw.

A letter will be sent to the vehicle's owner advising him or her that someone was seen littering from that vehicle. The letter will remind the recipient that littering is illegal and can result in fines if witnessed by a law enforcement officer.

Depending on the offense, each letter will be accompanied by a car litter bag, a pocket ashtray or an informational flyer on properly covering truck loads to keep debris from falling off.

Seffner resident Cam Oberting said she picks up debris from the right of way in front of her house two or three times a day and is delighted to hear about the reporting program.

"I still think the focus should be on handing out citations, but I do think this volunteer effort will have some effect," said Oberting, who has volunteered with Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful since 1990.

Oberting said the program will be another example of volunteers undoing litterbugs' dirty work. "It's volunteers who will do the work and get nothing in return except a more beautiful Hillsborough County."

Oberting noted that volunteers who have picked up after the county's habitual litterbugs for years are getting older. "We need an influx of young volunteers. We also need law enforcement to issue citations. That may never happen, but we need it. I could give out 25 citations a day just on East Sligh Avenue," she said.

The pilot Trash Troopers program will run for a year and, if successful, be expanded countywide, Commerce said. She has ordered 10,000 door notices to educate residents about the program and hopes to spread the word in numerous neighborhoods.

"We're looking for volunteers to distribute the door hangers July 19 and 22, and we'll have students from the University of South Florida distributing them Aug. 23," she said.

To volunteer or for information, call (813) 960-5121.

Reporter Yvette C. Hammett can be reached at (813) 657-4532 or yhammett@tampatrib.com.

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