Up to 25 reports for violations outlined in the municipal ordinance concerning waste management and cleanliness of public areas have been initiated by the Local Police of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, from the beginning of the year until July 10. These reports target individuals behaving uncivilised, with sanctions that can reach up to 100,000 euros, depending on the severity of the offences.
The Councillor for Security of the City Council, Gladis de León, revealed these figures during the municipal control commission meeting last Thursday, in response to a query from Alejandro Gómez, the spokesperson for the Vox group, regarding the number of reports processed due to breaches of the aforementioned municipal ordinance.
Among the various infractions, notable among them are cases of urination or defecation in public, totalling eight incidents thus far this year. Additionally, there have been two complaints related to feeding non-domestic animals in the city’s streets or squares, particularly pigeons or rats.
However, the majority of complaints, as disclosed in a report obtained by DIARIO DE AVISOS, centre around urban waste issues, with as many as 10 reports attributed to improper disposal of rubbish in containers not designated for specific types of waste, or violations against the regulations stipulated in the municipal ordinance.
Other infractions include non-compliance with waste disposal schedules or dumping waste outside of designated areas; indiscriminate disposal of solid or liquid waste in public spaces; failure to discard cardboard boxes in the appropriate bins; dumping personal belongings on public roads; observations of vehicle drivers discarding pallets on the street; leaving rubbish on sidewalks; and pouring liquid waste onto urban roads.
Vandalism
The remaining violations are related to graffiti with markers on urban waste bins; defacing elements of the urban landscape with graffiti without explicit permission; and creating graffiti on public roads.
The City Council, specifically its Public Services department overseen by Carlos Tarife, is tasked with imposing sanctions based on the violations documented in police reports for non-adherence to the municipal ordinance on waste management and cleanliness of public spaces. Offenders face substantial fines that can vary from 20,000 to 600,000 euros, particularly in cases involving hazardous waste or contaminated soil.
The ordinance, which came into effect in January 2023, penalises actions such as public urination, defecation or spitting; failure to adhere to waste disposal schedules; extinguishing cigars, cigarettes or cigarillos before disposal; littering outside designated bins; pouring wastewater in public spaces; feeding non-domestic animals on the streets; or smoking on beaches and bathing areas within the city, among others.
