161 Persons Issued Tickets for Urinating in Public

Some 161 tickets have been issued to persons for urinating in public, under the Anti-Litter Ticketing System which was implemented on May 1, by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA). Offenders are required to pay a fine of $2,000.
“This is all about the measures we need to take to bring about a change in the behaviour of our people,” noted Director of Enforcement and Compliance at the NSWMA, Andre Wiltshire, at a JIS ‘Think Tank’ on July 18 . “There is a need to understand that there are consequences to actions and one of the consequences is that if you are caught urinating in public, the fine is $2,000,” he stressed.
Mr. Wiltshire acknowledged that more public education would be necessary to make more persons aware that the offence was punishable by law. “There are many persons out there who are simply not aware that it is against the law to do it,” he said.
The Director also noted that the NSWMA was partnering with the local authorities to construct additional public sanitary conveniences for persons requiring the use of such facilities.
“We are also working with the local authorities to ensure that the locations of the sanitary conveniences are made public as well,” he pointed out.
Under the Anti-Litter Ticketing System other offences are also subject to penalties and fines. The littering or disposing of garbage in any public space attracts a fine of $2,000, while the willful breaking of any bottle or article made of glass in or on any public place without having lawful authority or reasonable excuse to do so, attracts a fine of $5,000.
Persons employing individuals to deface public property or public space by erecting, displaying, depositing or affixing anything on any building, wall, fence or structure will be fined $10,000.
Additionally, the penalty for persons who litter or dispose of garbage in or on any premises owned or occupied by another person without the consent of that person will be $5,000, and persons who are caught defacing public property or public space by erecting, displaying, depositing or affixing anything on any building, wall, fence or structure will be fined $3,000. So far, of the 311 tickets issued under the system, 137 have been for litter and 13 for posters.
In the meantime, Mr. Wiltshire said that the NSWMA has a cadre of 31 officers authorized to issue tickets under the system. In addition, tickets may also be issued by officers from the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA), the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) and public health officers.
The public may also report offenders by visiting the website: www.letskeepitclean.org.jm.
Mr. Wiltshire also reminded persons seeking to pay fines, that they may do so at NSWMA regional offices or the Head Office, located at 61 Half-Way-Tree Road in Kingston.