NCJ Number
156490
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 64 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1995) Pages: 1-3
Date Published
1995
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes Operation Crystal Clean, an effort by Jacksonville, Florida, to curb illegal hazardous waste disposal.
Abstract
The lack of eye witnesses makes investigation of environmental crimes difficult. The criminal justice community must, therefore, establish procedures to stop environmental criminals before they pollute again. This sting operation, designed and implemented by the State attorney's office in Jacksonville, resulted in the arrest of 19 suspects charged with commercial dumping, which is a felony. In order to ensure the integrity of the cases in criminal court, investigators followed all standard evidentiary and investigative guidelines. The article includes descriptions of investigative techniques and procedures. The conviction rate for the nineteen suspects arrested was 100 percent, with no cases going to trial. The cost of the investigation, excluding investigators' salaries, totaled approximately $2,500. The State recovered the cost of the investigation several times over through fines and forfeiture. In addition, offenders faced hundreds of hours of community service to clean up illegal dump sites.