Hoboken Police Are Going Undercover to Catch Dog Owners Who Don't Scoop Poop

Responsible pet owners know it's common courtesy—and usually a local law or mandate—to clean up when their dog finishes his or her business on public or private property using a dog poop bag or pooper scooper. Now, thanks to some indifferent owners, police in Hoboken have deemed it necessary to go undercover to catch rogue poopers in the act.

News 12 in New Jersey reported this week that the Department of Environmental Services and the Hoboken Police Department will soon begin an undercover operation to spot pet owners who fail to heed a city ordinance about collecting and disposing of dog waste. Police are expected to be stationed in areas prone to large amounts of abandoned feces and will issue violations on the spot. Fines can range from $100 to $2000.

Hoboken residents have been complaining of dog owners failing to pick up after their pets, with some home surveillance cameras capturing the lack of fecal etiquette.

Other cities have come to a crisis point in the past. In 2016, officials in Madrid, Spain, levied a $1700 fine for non-scoopers, with the option of spending time as a street cleaner instead. Some apartment complexes even keep a log of pet DNA and match the animal to the waste if it's not picked up so the owner can be identified.

[h/t News 12 New Jersey]