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🇧🇪 Belgium /Crime & Justice

Tienen Mayor Wants Mandatory Community Service for Repeat Illegal Dumpers Unable to Pay Fines

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • The mayor of Tienen, Belgium, wants to impose mandatory community service on repeat illegal dumpers who cannot pay fines.
  • Currently, individuals can refuse such work, like cleaning up waste, leading to frustration among residents.
  • The mayor is seeking legislative changes at the Flemish and federal levels to address this loophole and increase enforcement against illegal dumping.

Tienen Mayor Holslag is pushing for legislative changes to compel repeat offenders of illegal dumping, who are unable to pay their fines, to perform community service. Currently, individuals fined for illegal dumping can refuse alternative tasks, such as waste cleanup, a situation that frustrates local residents.

Illegal dumping is a general problem, but there is a small group that gets away with everything. Especially people who only stay in Tienen for a short time and persons who are declared 'indigent' rarely pay their GAS fine. Neighbors are annoyed by this and ask me why I don't assign community service, but we cannot impose it.

— Mayor HolslagExplaining the frustration with repeat offenders who avoid fines and the inability to assign community service.

Holslag described the current situation as a "gap in legislation," explaining that particularly transient individuals or those declared "indigent" rarely pay their municipal fines. "Neighbors are annoyed by this and ask me why I don't assign community service, but we cannot impose it," he stated, emphasizing his desire to see these individuals contribute to cleaning up the waste they create.

The city has intensified its efforts against illegal dumping. Community wardens are increasing surveillance at 35 known hotspots, including areas with glass and textile containers. Waste is removed, and efforts are made to trace the perpetrators. Since last year, significant cleanup costs are being charged in addition to municipal fines when offenders are identified.

Therefore, I am looking at federal and Flemish legislation. Let's have those people help clean up, for example. Now they can simply refuse.

— Mayor HolslagExpressing the need for legislative changes to enforce community service for illegal dumpers.

While recent specific figures on illegal dumping in Tienen are unavailable, Holslag noted that it occurs in waves, with entire households or large furniture items sometimes appearing on the streets. This causes irritation and blight, which the city is determined to tackle through stricter enforcement and potentially mandatory community service.

It happens in waves. Sometimes a whole household is suddenly on the street or half a living room with sofas. That causes irritation and blight. We really want to tackle that.

— Mayor HolslagDescribing the recurring nature and impact of illegal dumping in Tienen.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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