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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Despite strong warnings to litterbugs of a citywide crackdown on errant trash, not a single ticket has been issued since the city's anti-littering campaign began earlier this month.

The city issued a press release on May 1 stating there would be check stops monitoring loads in vehicles for loose trash, as well as officers patrolling trails to ensure pet owners clean up their pet's poop and that garbage was properly placed in bins.

Trash pickup organizer Adrian Bell picks up garbage along 52 Street earlier this month. Along with city councillor Paul Falvo, Bell formed the Litter Pick-up Artists as a way to clear streets of trash. - Katherine Roth/NNSL photo

"This is something that is difficult to enforce because people don't litter directly in front of us," said Doug Gillard, manager of municipal enforcement.

"It's usually something they do when they know we're not around."

He added that officers have been busy this month with other events around the city, including bicycle safety awareness talks at schools and National Road Safety week.

"We have been doing check stops all last week, but we were mostly concentrating on seat belts," he said.

But that doesn't mean they aren't doing anything to enforce the littering bylaw, said Gillard. Parking enforcement officers can be seen around the city daily, and officers are also paired up and patrolling the Frame Lake Trail on a regular basis, Gillard said, adding the city looks much better.

"I was driving around town and my own observations were that it is a lot cleaner now than it was a week ago."

City councillor Paul Falvo agrees a difference can be seen in the amount of litter, but he attributes the change to several factors other than enforcement.

"If I look around, I can't say it looks better because of the enforcement, but that is certainly a component," he said. "It's a combination of that and increased awareness, and the teams of volunteers that have been out there cleaning up."

Under a separate bylaw that focuses on unsightly land, business owners as well as landlords have received tickets for $200 after leaving a mess on their properties, Gillard said.

Falvo said he received a complaint from someone who was ticketed for their unsightly yard, and it raises questions regarding who should be penalized and how officers should go about enforcing separate bylaws dealing with yards and litter.

"It highlights the issue of whether we go after people who own the property, or after the actual litterbugs," he said. "I think it takes both. Sometimes you have to go after the property, but it would be great to go after the people doing it, as difficult as that is."