How to Report Littering

While littering may seem like a petty law in comparison to bigger things, it really is just as important. If there were no laws governing how residents treated their towns, there would be overwhelming amounts of garbage and filth everywhere you look. Use these steps to learn how to report littering in your area and help keep your town from being covered in trash.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Contact your local law enforcement non-emergency number or office to ask about the process of reporting litterers. This may include just some information over the phone or filling out a form at the station. You need to know the information required to be able to properly report littering in the future such as location it occurred, license plate number of the offending car and description of the offending person.
2. Look up your local littering laws and understand them. Most local jurisdictions offer statutes posted on their websites or at the library. Become familiar with the littering laws to make sure you are properly reporting incidents you see.
3. Take down the appropriate details. When you see littering occur, write down the information involved that the police department told you would be needed. Call them and report appropriately.
4. Catch it on film. In the age of cell phone video and digital cameras, many times you can catch something on "film", which can then be offered as evidence to aid the police department in prosecuting the litterers.
5. Respect your city. Don't litter yourself and don't trivialize the crime of littering. Report it just as you would any other crime.

Tips & Warnings

• Many states are enacting littering programs to aid in stopping the problem. Contact your state agency to see if they are one of those in your states and find out the details of the program.
• Report online. Many agencies offer the option to report littering online. This is easy and quick, saving you the phone call or visit to fill out paperwork.