City of Jonesboro to clamp down on littering

Growing complaints of littering and the hauling of unsecured items in trucks and trailers on city streets have Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin concerned. The city has received numerous calls about litter throughout the city, and officials are asking residents to be more diligent about keeping public spaces free of trash.

“We have received more complaints this year than in any of my 11 years in office about trash and litter along our roadsides, and even in our streets,” Perrin said. “The people of Jonesboro are proud of their city, so I am asking that everyone who drives our streets to make sure anything you carry in your vehicle is secure.”

Arkansas Highway 1, which leads to Legacy Landfill, is a hot spot for items that fall off vehicles and land in the roadway, Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott said. He said tickets for littering, which run from $50 to $155, will be issued to anyone losing items out of a vehicle or trailer, intentional or not.

“You can be cited for an unsecured load if you don’t have a covering over loose articles in your vehicle or trailer,” Elliott said.

He and Perrin said they are concerned not only about keeping Jonesboro beautiful, but preventing larger problems that can occur when large items fall into traffic.

“I’ve had reports of couches falling off trucks, TVs literally in the street,” Perrin said. “This is not just littering. This is a safety issue. We have to do better.”