Cayce law enforcement catching litterbugs

By Drew Daniels
Edited By Nick McCormac
March 4, 2009

A strict attitude and crackdown on littering has earned Cayce police a $5,000 PalmettoPride Enforcement Grant - the largest amount ever given - for litter control  and to protect the environment.

It is the fourth-straight year Cayce has recieved a grant from PalmettoPride, a nonprofit group created in 1999 to eliminate litter and promote awareness of littering in South Carolina. Since 2003, it has given money to enforcement agencies throughout the state that are active in litter control.

Only four agencies in the state have won the grant four times, and Cayce is the only one to win four consecutively, said Amy Lindler of the Municipal Association of South Carolina.

North Carolina and Georgia also give money for litter control, but no city has won a grant as frequently as Cayce.
 
PalmettoPride grant coordinator Sherryl Jenkins said Cayce keeps getting the money "because they are actively trying to get litter violators and reduce the amount of litter in the city."

To get the money, enforcers must submit quarterly reports to Jenkins showing how they're pursuing litter violators and creating new environmental programs. A 15-member committee of people from agencies like the Natural Resources Department and the S.C. Litter Control Association chooses the winner.

Cayce residents are becoming more inclined to keep their community and parks tidy, police Capt. Darwin Fulwood said.

"The message is getting out to residents that we want our city to get better at keeping clean," Fulwood said. "It's everyone's responsibility."

Three officers are assigned to daily litter control. It's a part-time focus, but they are constantly on the lookout for anything that degrades property, Fulwood said.

"Litter can be anything, ranging from trash thrown on the sidewalk to stuff in people's yards that devalue the property," Fulwood said. "We want to increase our residents' quality of life."

Cayce grants coordinator Renee Harvey said police plan to use the $5,000 to buy more high-quality night vision binoculars in addition to the ones they bought last year.

Harvey said the binoculars, along with a buried Groundhog camera purchased with 2007 grants, are helping officers spot illegal dumping in places previously undetectable, like Cayce's portion of the riverwalk along the Congaree River.

"People don't create dumpsites in the middle of where it's lit up, so the binoculars are essential," Harvey said.

Keeping places like the riverwalk clean is important to residents like Guy Walker, who lives near the Congaree.

"I've seen them pull out old tires, furniture and bags from the river, which is a disgrace," Walker said. "I'm happy to see them using special equipment to stop it."

The minimum fine in South Carolina for littering any amount less than 15 pounds is $200, but Cayce chooses to ticket the maximum of $1,087.

Convictions can also lead to 30 days to one year in jail depending on the severity of the incident, but most violators do a minimum 15 hours of community service gathering litter.

"Our job is to make people think twice about littering," said Fulwood. "And I think our awards are a sign we are doing a good job."