Stafford dog poo-lice get night goggles
A new weapon in the fight to combat dog fouling has been introduced – night-vision goggles.
The £230 goggles, with a built-in laser illuminator to improve viewing in the dark, will be used by Stafford council inspectors prowling parks and open spaces.
It will be used specifically during the winter months when officers struggle to catch irresponsible dog owners, the council said.
Two officers will be monitoring hot spots with the goggles, including fields and football pitches across the county, as part of their job which includes littering and fly tipping.
It is the latest in a series of initiatives run by the council to tackle inconsiderate owners as dog fouling, which can cause illness and even blindness.
In the past 12 months the council has handed out around half a dozen fixed penalty notices or taken prosecution action against dog owners.
Councillor Frank Finlay, cabinet member for environment and health, said: "We have had tremendous support from the community for our efforts to get rid of this disgusting crime - especially from responsible dog owners who are sick and tired of their inconsiderate counterparts giving them all a bad name.
"We target hot spots from information we get from our residents but with the darker morning and early evenings it is difficult to catch someone who is not cleaning up.
"These night vision goggles will help us overcome this problem and let people know that, even under the cover of darkness, they cannot get away with showing blatant disregard to their fellow citizens."
Hilary Hart, a dog owner from Weston has welcomed the efforts by the borough council.
She said: "Anything that helps reduce the amount of dog muck that is left by irresponsible owners has got to be welcome.
"And when the nights draw in, and the mornings are darker, the problem can get worse. The vast majority are responsible dog owners and we are tired of the inconsiderate few that give us all a bad name."
Information from frustrated residents regarding regular time, dates and place of irresponsible dog owners has led to a number of fines and prosecutions over recent years.
The scheme attracted national publicity when residents were offered a the financial incentive to report offenders.
The authority also teamed up with the local football league and Staffordshire FA to clampdown on dog fouling on soccer pitches and joined forces with the village of Weston near Stafford to make it the first in the country to be dog poo free. Earlier this year, Sandwell Council launched a hard-hitting campaign, using the controversial phrase 'no s**t Sherlock' on posters.
They also carried pictures of a dog in a deerstalker-hat sitting next to a pile of excrement.
It was part of the authorities 'zero tolerance' approach to dog mess.
