Council workers could be issued with extra powers to help tackle crime in Midlothian by handing out fines and reporting offences for prosecution.
A call for officers to look into ways to arm staff with additional powers on the streets is set to go before elected members next week.
It could mean issuing warrant cards to specially trained workers who could respond to antisocial behaviour incidents, vandalism, littering and fly tipping.
A motion by SNP councillors Dianne Alexander and Colin Cassidy calls for officials to be tasked with investigating what could be done in a bid to help clean up the county.
They are asking fellow councillors to help the local authority reaffirm its “commitment to tackling fly-tipping, littering, vandalism, antisocial behaviour and other environmental crime across Midlothian, using all available powers to identify and hold those responsible to account”.
It comes just weeks after the council launched a new campaign to tackle fly tipping across the county with warnings it threatens livelihoods and wildlife as well as creating environmental waste.
The council’s Respect Midlothian: your rubbish is your responsibility campaign was backed by local businesses and organisations affected.
They said fly tipping continues to have a significant impact on landowners and businesses alike with discarded tyres, household waste, abandoned car batteries and plastics among the things dumped.
From discarded tyres and household waste to abandoned car batteries and plastics, fly-tipping continues to have a significant impact on landowners and businesses across Midlothian.
The council said between March and July this year council waste teams responded to around 160 reports of fly tipping.
Councillor Kelly Parry, council leader, said at the time: “Fly tipping is not a victimless crime. It spoils our towns and countryside, costs money to clear up and can pose a real danger to people, wildlife and animals not to mention the impact on farmers and local businesses.
“The vast majority of people in Midlothian dispose of their waste responsibly and take pride in their communities. It is completely unacceptable that a small minority continue to dump waste illegally.”
The motion asks councillors to ask officers to investigate the” feasibility of extending the use of available powers and practice, eg. such as warrant cards, to appropriately trained and designated existing council staff”.
It says officers should look into ways to legally strengthen workers abilities to undertake enforcement activity including issued fixed penalty notices, fines and prosecutions to tackle ongoing issues.
And it says: “Council asks officers to report back on the legal, operational and training requirements in the feasibility of implementing this approach, and monitor the outcomes from expanded use of powers and practice.”
The motion will go before a meeting of the full council when it returns for the first time after the summer break next week.
By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter
