Paris is by no means a clean city, with its cigarette butts in the gutters, dog poo on the pavements, and drunken people urinating on the streets — but that might be about to change.
The city has upped the number of city officers who can dish out fines for daily littering infractions or “incivilities”.
The new “anti-incivility brigade” is hitting the streets on Monday, and within three months will see their staff numbers hit the target of 1,900.
The brigade has replaced the Prevention and Protection Direction (DPP) which was previously in charge, and which provided the majority of officers.
Others come from different city services such as parks and gardens and the cleanliness division, and a further 30 new positions have been created to fill remaining spots.
These new officers will all be in uniform and some will be armed with batons and tear gas.
Some 320 officers will be part of a “mobile brigade” that will roam the whole capital 24/7.
The move comes after the city started giving out fines of €68 for tossing cigarette butts in October last year. Around 2,500 people have been hit by the fines since then.
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