The Dartmouth police department has reminded residents to stop leaving used personal protective equipment in public places.

Many residents have started using masks and gloves in order to protect themselves and others against the spread of coronavirus as they go about their daily routines.

Dartmouth Police Detective Kyle Costa stated in a video released on April 11 that police have noticed a recent increase in littering in parking lots and public parks in town.

Costa asked residents to stop littering and instead dispose of their PPE into a trash bin. 

He noted that not only is it against the law to litter, but the careless discarding of PPE only worsens the problem, as it can potentially expose town workers to contamination.

The police department does not want to enforce something that people should take it upon themselves to do, he added.

“Be smart, don’t be a slob,” Costa said. “There’s plenty of trash barrels around.”