Litter Enforcement Resources
LITTER ENFORCEMENT WORKING GROUP:
Goal - Implementation of Litter Enforcement Month
Interested in participating in LEM 2012? Send an email to Ashlea Smith, Program Coordinator, asmith@fergusonfoundation.org
 “Littering and Illegal Dumping are crimes that affect community pride, safety, and well-being. We are glad to participate in Litter Enforcement Month and will focus on educating both our officers and the people we serve about the environmental and social impacts of litter.”- Commander Russell Hamil, Montgomery County Police Dept., 2011
“Preventing trash pollution in the Potomac starts by enforcing litter and illegal dumping laws in our neighborhoods.” - Sergeant John Ravinskas, Arlington County Police Dept., 2011
“We are proud to be participating in Litter Enforcement Month this year. Pollution of the Potomac watershed hurts wildlife, our health, and our economy.”- Major Charles Santerre, Bureau Commander, Maryland Natural Resources Police Dept., 2011
History of Litter Enforcement Month:
In 2008, the Alice Ferguson Foundation, the National Park Service, and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) celebrated the first Litter Enforcement Week. In 2010, the 3rd Annual Litter Enforcement week occurred between April 4th and 10th. Per suggestion of the Enforcement Roundtable at the 5th Annual Trash Summit in Sept 2010, the week-long event was extended to a month in order to allow for better education of the public and officers alike. In 2012, the Second Annual Litter Enforcement Month will take place in April to coincide with the 24th Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup.
How Jurisdictions participate in Litter Enforcement Month
 On March 22nd, 2011, The Litter Enforcement Working Group met at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and goals for Litter Enforcement Month were confirmed. Participating Jurisdictions agree to four actions, an alternate for Sheriff’s offices not involved with code enforcement was added in 2012:
- Officer Education- During LEM, officers will be trained on the importance of litter and illegal dumping enforcement. Local police departments will host trainings for officers and invite other jurisdictions’ officers to attend.*
- Public Education- In addition to a concerted effort to enforce waste disposal laws, the communities served will be educated about the effects of litter and the repercussions if one is caught through various media outlets and public announcements.
- Enforce Litter & Illegal Dumping Laws + Tracking citations- Throughout LEM, participating jurisdictions will keep track of civil and/or criminal citations about Littering and Illegal Dumping as well as these optional litter-related issues:
- Blight
- Hoarding
- Most-littered areas
- Uncovered hauls
- Graffiti
- Abandoned Property
- Illegal Tire hauling or piling
- Loitering
- Snipe Signs
- Reporting Out – Report date by using a simple form & Sharing Newsworthy stories regarding Litter Enforcement Month
- Alternate activity for Sheriff's Offices not involved with code enforcement but manage Community Labor Forces or Alternative Incarceration Branches (likely in jurisdictions where there is both a Police Department and a Sheriff's Office)- Engage your Community Labor Forces to participate in the Potomac Watershed Cleanup by reporting the waste collected along highways & other areas).
2011 Participating Jurisdictions included:
 | - DC Metropolitan Police Department
- Prince George’s County Police Department
- Montgomery County Police Department
- Arlington County Police Department
- City of Alexandria Police Department
- Maryland Natural Resource Police Department
|
*The Alice Ferguson Foundation offers to work with academies or continuing education efforts to develop a presentation to leadership, community policing officers, environmental crime specialists, and/or cadets
Other Historical Document relating to Litter Enforcement Promotion
Previous Enforcement Committee Agendas:
2010 Trash Summit Notes and Presentations
2009 Trash Summit Notes and Presentations
2008 Trash Summit Notes and Presentations
2007 Trash Summit Notes and Presentations
2006 Trash Summit Notes and Presentations
For more information about Litter Enforcement & the other local efforts against litter, please call or email the Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative at 202-973-8203, trashfree@fergusonfoundation.org
Litter Enforcement is one of the five core components of the Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative.
| 
)