Dorset Waste Partnership joins forces with Dorset Police to combat fly-tipping

The recently published National Rural Crime Survey shows that fly-tipping remains a huge concern for Dorset residents, with 57% of the 20,000 people and businesses surveyed seeing evidence of fly-tipping.

The responsibility for fly-tipping lies with local authorities who also lead on any prosecutions, but a multi-agency approach is the most effective way of combatting this illegal activity.

DWP officers now sit on the multi-agency Police Rural Crime Team, which looks at all kinds of rural crime, while sharing intelligence and best practice.

Back in May, the DWP Enforcement Team worked alongside Dorset Police as part of the multi-agency enforcement operation ‘Market Place’. This saw vehicles suspected of carrying waste pulled over by Dorset Police and subjected to waste carrier licence checks by the DWP, resulting in Fixed Penalty Notices being issued to those who were not licenced.

The DWP also worked with the police on operations around the Great Dorset Steam Fair in Blandford back in August.

Cllr Tony Alford, chairman of the DWP’s Joint Committee, said, “Fly-tipping isn’t just unsightly and anti-social; it is a crime. It makes sense for the DWP to work closely with the police so we can share information and pool our resources to investigate those who break the law by illegally transporting and dumping waste.
But the National Rural Crime Survey 2018 also shows that rural crime is still massively underreported, so we’d like to remind people to tell us about any fly-tipping wherever you see it. This can be done online, by phone or by e-mail.

We’re delighted to be part of this multi-agency approach and are looking forward to continuing our work with Dorset Police in the future.”

Martyn Underhill, Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset, added, ‘’The Problem Solving Forum I recently held on fly tipping brought together partners and agencies to discuss this problem and a partnership action plan is now in place to tackle it.

Waste crime costs the English economy millions of pounds every year and waste criminals undercut genuine businesses who dispose of waste responsibly.”