Fines of up to 8,200 euros: Wels “Waste Watchers” are looking for garbage offenders

Fines of up to 8,200 euros: Wels “Waste Watchers” are looking for garbage offenders

The numbers are worrying: employees of the city of Wels collect 200 tons of illegally disposed waste at collection points and on public property. Street sweepers also collect 150 tons of waste by emptying public wastebaskets and picking up trash on sidewalks and streets. So more is disposed of illegally than legally. There is actually no shortage of disposal points: there are 900 public wastebaskets, more than 70 dog stations, seven green waste collection points, 90 waste collection points and two recycling centers in Wels.

The city is therefore sending out “Waste Watchers” with immediate effect: two employees of the Austrian Security Service (ÖWD), which, as the city’s cooperation partner, also provides 21 parking enforcement personnel, will patrol the city three days a week.

Passers-by who, for example, throw a plastic bottle next to the sidewalk will still be warned until the end of next week. Then it imposes penalties. “In view of the fact that our employees are on the road seven days a week to remove illegally disposed waste, we believe this step is necessary,” explains Mayor Andreas Rabl (FP).

Employees are allowed to verify identity

The fines start at 30 euros, but according to the law up to 8,200 euros are possible. “That will also depend on the violation,” explains security officer and deputy mayor Gerhard Kroiß (FP). For the time being, the “Waste Watchers” are particularly targeting the city center and hotspots such as Kaiser-Josef-Platz or the Wimpassing leisure complex. If the city becomes aware of new problem locations, checks are also possible there.

Garbage cans are not checked by the “Waste Watchers”; they are only responsible for the unauthorized disposal of garbage in public spaces. “Our employees are also authorized to determine identities,” explains Filip Hinterberger from the Austrian Security Service. Employees receive de-escalation training in advance. “But we are not an executive; in difficult situations we call the police. Experience from other cities where our employees have been taking on such tasks for a long time shows that acceptance among the population is high,” explains Hinterberger.

Author

Valentin Bayer

Editor Upper Austria

Valentin Bayer

Valentin Bayer

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