Trashy
you can’t Afford to be
Are you trashy? You are if you litter, and it might be wise for you to take note of a new community program recently launched by the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury. The police jury’s new program is using a tough approach:“You Can’t Afford to be Trashy.” Area law enforcement agencies are working with the police jury to ticket litterers in Calcasieu Parish. The new process calls for a first offense violation fine of $40, which must be paid to the District Attorney’s Office within six weeks. If the violator chooses to ignore the ticket, then their driver’s license will be suspended until the fine is paid. All money from litter fines will be placed into the parish’s Beautification Fund to be used for future programs to reduce litter.
WhAT cAn you do To fighT liTTer? If you are sick of litterers using the landscape of Calcasieu Parish as a trash dump, make a difference by reporting the offenders to the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Department. If you see someone littering, all you need to do is call 493-liTr (5487). All that will be needed is some basic information, primarily the license number of the violator. The owner of the vehicle will be sent a letter stating that they have been reported for littering and should consider the correspondence as a warning. For positive
Quick. Clear. Accurate.
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www.thriveswla.com
Since the launch of this new, assertive anti-litter program, more then 100 people have called the hotline to report litterers in Calcasieu Parish.
WhAT is considered “liTTer?” You may be surprised to learn that litter is the improper placement of any waste material. It comes in many shapes, sizes and forms, such as a cigarette butt flicked from a car window, a discarded take-out food bag, objects not properly tied down in a truck bed or the one that item that makes everybody cringe—the dirty diaper in the parking lot, which according to litter statistics is a “Louisiana special.” Litter has always been a major problem in Southwest Louisiana. It is unsightly, unsanitary, potentially dangerous and just filthy. Many visitors have said that when it comes to trash, this area is one of the dirtiest locales in the country. Education is also a major focus of this new anti-litter initiative. A K-12 curriculum has been proposed to the Calcasieu Parish School Board in hopes that litter will be an important topic that a student re-visits throughout every grade of their development. With this component in place, the police jury hopes that the area might see a shift in values over the course of the next 10-15 years. In Calcasieu Parish, we can’t afford to be trashy. Don’t let litter destroy our home, remember to always throw your garbage in a proper facility and to call the hotline when you see someone littering.
It’s time to make your health a priority and WCCH is helping you take the first step. Call today to schedule your appointment, 527-4256. *Discount applies to costs billed from West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital. Radiology fees are billed separately and are not included in the discount.
reinforcement, a litterbag will be enclosed in the envelope for encouragement not to repeat the crime.
www.wcch.com Thrive Magazine for Better Living
April 2009