City of L.A. Launches New Tool to Catch Illegal Dumping Violators
The program, which will include a community/business participation component, aims to combat more than $12 million in annual costs to fight the most commonly committed environmental crime.
- Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (1888PressRelease) August 22, 2010 - Councilmember José Huizar joined Bureau of Street Services (BSS) officials and Central City East Association's Estela Lopez Thursday to announce an increase in fines for illegal dumping under an amended ordinance that will make it easier to cite violators without having to catch them in the act, as in years past.
Illegal dumping costs the City more than $12 million a year. The primary targets of the amended ordinance are businesses and contractors who illegally dump multiple items on a regular basis.
"This amended ordinance will allow us to aggressively pursue those who choose to trash our City streets, parkways and alleys with their garbage," said Councilmember José Huizar. "It also empowers our community and business partners to assist BSS in gathering evidence that can lead to fines being levied against illegal dumping perpetrators. This partnership could save the City much needed money and resources, and I look forward to working with BSS to conduct outreach to promote this program."
The modified ordinance, which Councilmember Huizar helped usher in as the Chair of Public Works, will allow BSS Investigators to train interested organizations, such as Business Improvement Districts (BIDS) and Neighborhood Councils, to gather evidence linking violators to a residence or business so that BSS can issue administrative fines. The BSS Investigation and Enforcement team will continue to conduct investigations and can, when warranted, take cases to the City Attorney for criminal prosecution. The new administrative fines offer BSS the opportunity to institute fines directly, without first involving the City Attorney.
"The ordinance now authorizes Bureau investigators to administratively fine violators based on evidence found in dumped trash that identifies a responsible party," said Bureau of Street Services Director William A. Robertson, of the Department of Public Works.
The amended ordinance, which went into effect in July, increases fines to $500, $750 and $1000 for each successive violation in a 12-month period. A fourth violation would result in criminal prosecution as a misdemeanor offense.
According to the Central City East Association, which offers cleanup services through its BID programs in the Arts & Industrial areas Downtown, there were 119 instances of illegal dumping in those areas in July 2010 alone.
"We owe each other, and especially our children, clean neighborhoods…clean rivers…clean oceans," said Estela Lopez, Executive Director of Central City East Association. "Every time someone illegally discards trash on our streets and sidewalks, it compromises the health of our communities and poses untold hazards via our storm drains. It's not just ugly. It's dangerous. And it's against the law."
According to the code, it is illegal to dispose of any rubbish on public property without a permit from the Board of Public Works.
"While our Bureau Investigators do perform surveillance and cite or arrest violators caught in the act of dumping, the problem is so pervasive that arrests alone cannot prevent illegal dumping City wide," said Chief Street Services Investigator Gary Harris. "In addition to proactive enforcement of criminal laws, there is a need to hold accountable those that are not observed and who cannot be prosecuted through conventional methods. Using this administrative remedy helps us ensure that violators are held accountable."
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