Envirocrime project in Walsall prompts perps to hold up their hands
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A fly tipper who dumped a large amount of waste on Whitehall Road has admitted his crime and offered to make amends after the cordoned off crime scene prompted his landlord to come forward.
Within a day of the rubbish being taped up, Walsall Council’s contact centre received a call with information leading to the name and contact details of the person responsible.
The project, which launched in February, is a partnership effort between Walsall Council and One Palfrey Big Local, and it has seen officers cordoning off fly tipped waste like a crime scene under investigation in hopes that it will deter people from committing fly tipping offences in future.
Once the fly tipped waste has been investigated and removed, officers then use spray paint to leave a message as a warning to anyone thinking of dumping their rubbish illegally.
“ This is a huge step forward in terms of behaviour change and it sends a really powerful message, which I hope will make people think twice before dumping their rubbish like this in future.
This result shows that our no-nonsense attitude towards fly tipping is paying off. I hope this serves as a warning to anyone who thinks it’s acceptable to dump rubbish on our streets and in our green spaces that we will find you and you will be punished for it.
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“ I’m extremely pleased to see that the Environmental Crime Scene project is having a positive impact. It’s not easy to change people’s attitudes and behaviours so we have had to think outside the box to find a solution to fly tipping, which has become a major problem across Walsall.
People should take pride in their communities and respect the local area. Fly tipping is a crime and we need local people to play an active role in reporting it and coming forward with information so that those who think it’s OK to dump their rubbish wherever they want are caught and charged.
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“ I am really proud of the success of this project so far and it has been a pleasure to work with Walsall Council to help reduce fly tipping and improve the community. I hope this goes some way to help change people’s attitudes towards fly tipping as it is such a blight on our communities, and I hope that people learn from this project that fly tipping is a crime that is taken very seriously. “
The individual that came forward to admit to dumping rubbish on Whitehall Road has been given seven days grace to resolve the situation before criminal charges will be brought.
Notes to editors
Walsall Council is working in partnership with Palfrey Big Local to deliver the Environmental Crime Scene Project. Palfrey Big Local initially funded the equipment required to kick start the project.
Walsall Council has now started an independent Environmental Crime Scene Project that will service the whole borough, starting in Willenhall, Bentley and Darlaston and will stay in each ward for one month.
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