[5/18/03]Nearly a month after Vicksburg Police Chief Tommy Moffett warned of a crackdown on motorists who throw cigarette butts out car windows, no tickets have been written.

Moffett and other city officials announced a crackdown on litter, loud music and parking laws April 17 during the weekly TV23 program “Speak Up.”

Officers since have arrested 27 people for violating the city’s noise ordinance and cited 22 people for parking in spaces reserved for the handicapped, but none for litter.

“We’ll arrest people for litter if we see people litter,” Moffett said. “Apparently the officers haven’t seen anybody.”

Moffett said it isn’t because officers aren’t looking or aren’t on the streets, citing numerous other arrests and citations issued during the same time period. During the four weeks, officers made 252 arrests and issued 265 citations.

“There’s not a whole lot of people who will throw out a bag of trash with a police car sitting next to them,” Moffett said.

Littering is a misdemeanor offense subject to a $200 fine, and Moffett said officers have been instructed not to give any more warnings even if it is a cigarette butt. Mayor Laurence Leyens, who made cleaning up the city a major part of his platform when he sought the office two years ago, backed Moffett’s direction, saying people should be arrested for littering, although not everyone agreed. North Ward Alderman Gertrude Young suggested, because littering laws have rarely been enforced, officers should first give warnings.

Leyens cited cigarette butts as a major contributor to litter on the streets.

Under the city’s 4-year-old noise ordinance, violators can be arrested and made to post bond. A first offense is punishable by a $216 fine; second, $432; third, $600 and up to 30 days in jail; and any subsequent offense, a $1,000 fine and up to 90 days in jail.

Misuse of parking spaces for the handicapped and parking on sidewalks or in red-coded fire lanes can result in minimum fines of $100.