JPD introduces Litter Enforcement Officer

Officer Rick Butler is coming back to the City of Jackson Police Department, where he worked for 30 years before retiring last year. However this time, he will be the Litter Enforcement Officer for the City. 

“We have officers obviously all over town, so if they see it, they're going to deal with it,” Police Chief Thom Corely said, “But Officer Butler can take the complaints that come in and go look and investigate that, or he can go sit where we're seeing the vehicles with, debris flying and and stop the vehicles and educate them. So I think having that primary focus is going to be the key.

Corely says this is a combined effort with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Keep Jackson Beautiful, and other organizations that have been meeting for months to solve the litter problem in Jackson. 

Officer Butler’s main goal is to serve as an educator, both to the general public and those offending. 

“If officer Butler stops one of those vehicles [that is littering], he's going to educate them about that law, that you need a tarp, and we're going to work with TDOT to provide tarps,” Corley said. However, if the littering is a continuing issue, he has the ability to write tickets. 

“If you're a business owner, we'd like to help you if we need to, but you need to educate yourself on the laws and rules governing proper waste disposal for your business,” Chief Corely said, “If you're a property owner, we need you to be responsible and proactive in maintaining a clean lot. If you're a citizen, we need you to know and use proper waste disposal procedures. There are solid waste convenience centers all across the county. And there are places and proper ways to dispose of trash and we want to work with you to do that as well.”

Julia Ewoldt, julia@jacksonpost.news