Wake County Sheriff's deputies are now handing out hefty fines to litter bugs they catch while on special patrol.
"If you litter, we're going to catch you," Deputy Dave Bradford, Wake County Sheriff's Office, said.
Deputy Bradford is serious about trash. He's seen it on and off-duty all over Wake County.
"I've seen people just take bottles and literally throw them out the window," he said. "I think that's what frustrates me the most -- people that know better and throw things out the window and that are just trashing up the community."
Starting Feb. 1, he and about 60 deputies are handing out big fines to anyone they catch trashing Wake County's roadways.
They're patrolling nine undisclosed locations as part of Wake County's litter enforcement pilot program.
If deputies find any trash coming out of your car, then you're looking at a fine -- no warning. A citation will cost you anywhere from $250 to $2,000.
And if you have an excuse, Deputy Bradford has already heard it.
"If we see commercial garbage trucks, regular citizens, just anyone negligent or if they failed to secure their load in their vehicle, we're going to take proactive measures and write citations," Deputy Bradford said.
You can help keep trash off the road by dropping it off at one of the county's convenience centers. But if you still want to pitch that wrapper out the window, Deputy Bradford may be waiting for you.
"We've educated the public, and it's time to go ahead and go forth with the citations," he said. "Hit them in the wallet."
