Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein is calling on citizens to record, take pictures and report any instances of illegal dumping that they encounter.
Speaking during the Princes Town Regional Corporation’s (PTRC) monthly statutory meeting yesterday, Hosein commended local chutney artiste Nermal “Massive” Gosine for reporting an incident several weeks ago.
That report eventually led to the perpetrator being arrested, charged and fined $1,000 for dumping coconut shells from his vehicle in Palmyra.
Hosein said while he understood that Magistrate Indar Jagroo in the San Fernando Magistrates Court was lenient in sentencing, he was fed up of of citizens breaking the law.
“I’m going to press that once you are caught illegally dumping you should pay the full $4,000 fine, that’s a deterrent not to dump in the future,” Hosein said.
“In today’s society we hardly get people coming forward to assist the police in carrying out their duties. I would like to commend Mr Gosine for not only confronting the issue but going above and beyond to help the prosecution as a witness. This is an inspiration to citizens to do the same. If you see things like that, record, take pictures and bring it to the police.”
The current fines are $4,000 for ordinary citizens and up to $8,000 for corporate bodies found illegally dumping.
Assistant Commissioner of the Municipal Police, Brian Headley, echoed the minister’s statement, saying it is only when police and the citizenry work together that crime can be curbed.
Headley said because Gosine reported the act, the municipal police were able to do their jobs.
“It just goes to show what our Commissioner Gary Griffith has been saying; we need to work hand-in-hand with the public and the public work hand-in-hand with the police. And in this case. Mr Gosine saw something and it’s only because he said something that we have a conviction. This is the support that we need from the public.”