The ACS Pacesetters firm Kingdom reports a nine-month trial in Haringey, making its eighth London borough where the contractor does uniformed officer patrols of streets handing out fines ranging from £80 to £400 to anyone aged 18 or over who is seen dropping or dumping rubbish or allowing their dogs to foul the streets, or who drops chewing gum or cigarette butts.
The uniformed enforcement presence in the north-east London borough starts on Monday, November 21. The officers will wear body cameras with footage used as evidence if required. People under the age of 18 will have their names and address taken for a letter to be issued to their parents.
Peray Ahmet, Cabinet Member for Environment who signed a Cabinet Member decision on October 31 said: “The vast majority of people in Haringey are proud of where they live and do the right thing, yet there are a small minority of people who drop litter or fly-tip. There is no excuse for this behaviour and as a community we should no longer tolerate it. Tougher enforcement is designed to act as a deterrent and make people think again before dropping litter on our streets.”
Haringey adds that it’s testing increased enforcement in areas with persistent litter problems as part of what it calls a balanced approach which also includes more information to residents to raise awareness about the cost of litter on our streets. Haringey recently teamed up with locals in Noel Park to raise awareness of the council’s free bulky waste service. And in October Haringey increased the on-the-spot fines for fly-tipping from £80 to £400, pointing to how fly-tipping cost taxpayers £3m per year.
The uniformed officers will be employed by Kingdom Security; the contract is expected to cost £120,000 a year, with the costs covered by money received from penalties issued.
