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Parking wardens to target litter bugs
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard01.10.07
Parking attendants could soon be able to hand out on-the-spot fines if they catch anyone dropping litter.
The attendants will be renamed "civil enforcement officers" and allowed to issue penalty notices for fly-posting and graffiti.
They would also become council "spies", reporting on unruly behaviour and providing evidence which could lead to prosecutions and Asbos.
Westminster City Council is now considering using the full powers provided by a government shake-up of the parking system.
Under the proposals, parking attendants would be able to:
• Hand out tickets for littering, fly-posting and graffiti.
• Issue fixed-penalty notices for driving in bus-lanes or jumping red lights.
• Report anti-social behaviour and be involved in collecting evidence for Asbos.
• Be summoned in front of a parking regulator in court to give evidence.
At the moment, attendants are only allowed to issue parking fines, report abandoned vehicles and inaccurate signs or markings, and check car parks are clean and tidy.
The new rules will be announced by the Department of Transport next month and are expected to come into force on 1 March next year under the Traffic Management Act 2004.
They are designed to free up more police time by switching powers to local councils.
A motorist who refuses to pay a £60 fine for jumping lights will be taken to court where a civil enforcement officer (CEO) could give evidence. Anyone failing to pay an on-the-spot littering fine faces a maximum penalty of £2,500.
Westminster Council parking manager Kieran Fitsall said of the new civil enforcement officers: "Primarily they are to be the eyes and the ears of the council and concentrate on road offences which have been decriminalised.
"However, the Act is not specific and it could be used to pass on information leading to an Asbo or used so CEOs could hand out fixed-penalty notices for dropping litter or cigarette butts."
The RAC Foundation's head of campaigns Sheila Rainger said that if CEOs started unfairly targeting people, many would "lose faith" in the justice system.
Reader views (3)
Parking attendants are there to deal with parking offences. I can't see the logic behind asking them to officiate in cases of anti-social behaviour and civil disorder. Why not give community support officers these powers - after all, aren't they supposed to be about supporting the policing of the capital? People are already predisposed to dislike traffic wardens - many of whom do not seem to have much grasp of parking regulations, let alone the law concerning anti-social behaviour - and they may actually react in a more extreme fashion to being apprehended by one than if they are tackled by law enforcement officers.
- Lindsay, London
"However, the Act is not specific and it could be used to pass on information leading to an Asbo or used so CEOs could hand out fixed-penalty notices for dropping litter or cigarette butts."
Change the word "could" to "will". that would be more accurate?
- George Burrell, Isleworth, London
The litter problem in the West End would be improved dramatically if the trade refuse arrangements were reviewed. Time after time the sight of rubbish spilling out of torn waste bags spoils the ambience of prestige areas of our capital city. Westminster council have a responsibility to do a much better job than at present.
- Ian Freeman, London
