Belle Glade Orders Concerned Citizen to Stop Picking Up Trash

By Nicole Danna Thu., Feb. 10 2011 at 2:47 PM

Do not try to clean up this picture.

Keep it trashy, Belle Glade.

Try to pick up trash in this Palm Beach County city and you might be threatened by the long arm of the law. According to a story reported by News Channel 5, the efforts of a concerned citizen to clean up trash-infested neighborhoods in Belle Glade were shunned Wednesday by the mayor and city attorney.

The man, Hydn Rousseau, was told he could be charged with criminal trespassing if he continued his organized neighborhood cleanup group made up of 50 volunteers. Their goal: to fight crime by working to beautify local neighborhoods in need of a little TLC.

Rather than be lauded for his efforts to clear away unsightly debris -- stuff we'd never think to touch, like needles and buckets of stagnant garbage -- Rousseau was asked to leave the littered private properties alone.

So much for trying to do a good deed.

Follow The Juice on Twitter: @TheJuiceBPB.

Tags:

Belle Glade, Channel 5, criminal trespassing, Hydn Rousseau, Palm Beach County

We Recommend

Sherriedul

I don't understand this. This is crazy! In addition, I live in Belle Glade and I have NEVER seen the area pictured with this story. I don't doubt the idiot powers that be stopped the cleanup for some assinine reason but honestly, the picture doesn't go with our town and think that was used to sensationalize the story...not cool! The story was bad enough on its own.

JSkool101

When I think about this further, I would bet that there is a sweetheart contract between the city and some private contractor who charges big bucks to do the same thing Mr. Rousseau and his group are doing for free. The City pays the contractor, then puts a lien on the properties for the contractor's "services" and if the owners can't pay, forecloses the lien, thereby generating fees for the City Attorney or his buddy, and the property ends up in the hands of the City's usual suspects. That's how it probably works. The City is just protecting the action.