The Common Council voted to increase the fine for a first-time littering offense to $500 Tuesday—the highest amount the state will allow.
The City of Milwaukee is sending a direct message to its citizens. Do not litter. That’s why they changed the fine for littering to $500—the highest amount the state allows. The previous amount for a first offense was between the ranges of $25 to $500.
“We have multiple initiatives and have been doing that for over two and a half years,” said Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II, the sponsor of the resolution. “Now it’s time for enforcement.”
Milwaukee defines littering as items that include:
- “garbage, rubbish, used tires, manure, stones, gravel, sand, earth, grass, hay, leaves, twigs, shrubs, branches, ashes, cinders, sawdust, sweepings, dirt, glass, earthenware, wire, nails, construction waste, liquid waste, ice, snow, paper, electronic devices, oil filters, oil absorbent materials and all other debris and discarded materials of similar nature.”
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Massachusetts fines up to $5,500 for a first-time conviction, and up to $15,000 for subsequent convictions. Illinois fines up to $1,500 for a first-time offense, while Indiana fines $1,000 and Michigan fines citizens $800 if the litter amounts to less than one cubic foot.
Co-sponsor Alderwoman Chantia Lewis said she has visited cities across the nation that put more of an emphasis on enforcing punishment for littering. She mentioned two in particular, Atlanta and Cleveland, which she said had billboards and campaigns to address the issue.
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Enforcement for littering in Georgia and Atlanta is so prevalent that there are attorneys who specialize in representing individuals who have been fined the first-time amount of $1,000. Georgia law says you could even spend up to one year in jail for littering. The court could even publish the names of persons convicted under the statute.
“As I saw the billboards posted throughout other cities, warning people, I began to ask residents do you litter and if so why,” said Lewis. “The consensus was, ‘We don’t want to get the fine so we don’t.’ Everyone is aware of it.”
Lewis, Stamper and Ald. Terry Witkowski also said they would be working on a campaign soon to address littering. The City of Milwaukee does offer free bulk pickup services through Project Clean and Green. The Northwest Side Community Development Corporation (NWSCDC) also launched an anti-littering campaign last spring, while other private companies and non-profits have funded campaigns over the years in the city. But the cities direction now will be a new “full-blown campaign,” according to Lewis.
The measure will now go to Mayor Tom Barrett. If approved, the measure will go into effect Monday, April 1.
Beyond calling the Milwaukee Police Department to report litter, you can also use the website http://www.litter-bug.org/, which allows individuals to report license plate numbers of cars or individuals who litter.
