Police enforce Flick It and Ticket to help battle accidental fires

INDIANA (WTHI) - Indiana State Police (ISP) are now ticketing people discarding cigarette butts and other lit products out of vehicle windows, to help reduce the possibility of accidental grass and brush fires.

The statewide memorandum was distributed to all state police enforcement personnel Monday afternoon, and specifies appropriate statutes ISP personal may enforce.

According to a release from ISP, this is an effort to reduce the opportunity for fires associated with the criminal and negligent disposal of lit items from vehicles.

Indiana State Police said the action is a Class A Infraction, which could bring fines up to $10,000.

This is not a new concept, because Police have been pulling violators over for littering for years.

However, the primary focus is to bring to the public’s attention the seriousness of the dangerous conditions this extremely dry weather has provided: dead vegetation, dried out grass and brush, and fallen leaves, all of which are extremely flammable.