Field Force and enviro-crime
To combat incidents that have a negative impact on the environment (enviro-crime) and may result in a Fixed Penalty Notice being issued, the Council employs environmental enforcement officers known as 'The Field Force'. All officers are accredited under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme and are part of the extended police family giving them additional powers to deal with low-level anti-social behaviour.
The Council has approved an Environmental Enforcement Policy which clarifies the principles behind its enforcement and outlines the measures and fines that can be taken.
Field Force Officers deal with:
- the investigation into enviro-crime incidents
- improving the street scene
- removing illegal traders from the highway
- skips and scaffolding inspections
- removing abandoned trolleys
- dealing with obstructive overgrown vegetation