Berkeley County deputies installing hidden cameras to catch litterbugs

JEDBURG, S.C. (WCSC) - Berkeley County deputies are hoping cameras will catch litterbugs who have turned Jedburg into a dumping ground.

Deputies say the trash dumping is happening in the area of Starline Drive and Candle Drive. Ron Harvey says litterbugs have been dumping trash on his property.

“It’s just an ongoing problem, it never ends,” Harvey said. “It just got so bad, I couldn’t stand it anymore.”

Harvey says the trash didn’t get there by itself. He says it was dumped by litterbugs who either threw it out of their cars or stopped and tossed it out.

"I don't know why they do it, lazy, people just don't care, they don't have any responsibility," Harvey said.

Harvey has picked up pieces of trash both big and small. That includes, old TVs and mattresses. Also dead animals.

"I found a dead puppy in a bag, the other bag had a deer carcass in it," Harvey said.

He's also found garbage in a nearby creek.

"There are beer cans, liquor bottles, it all flows downstream," he said,

Drivers can see Harvey's hard work in orange trash bags up and down Candle Road.

“This totals 28,” he said.

That's much appreciated by the sheriff's office's litter enforcement officer.

“On this particular road it extremely bad, but we are trying to enforce it,” Cpl. Stacy Harris said.

The sheriff’s office is trying to give people a reason not to litter and catch the one’s who are doing it. They are setting up hidden cameras all along Candle Drive.

"When you're talking about bottles and trash that comes out of the window, that's one of those things you have to be there for, unfortunately again, we cannot be everywhere all the time," Harris said.

That means there’s more work to be done for Harvey. So you can expect to see him back on litter patrol.

Fines range from $100 to more than $1,000 per violation.