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Attorney General Anne Milgram today announced that she has authorized the posting of a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for causing syringes and other medical-type waste to wash up on Avalon beaches in recent days.
In announcing the reward, Attorney General Milgram noted that the Division of Criminal Justice has a toll-free hotline for the public to report any information on the case. The statewide tipline is 1-866-TIPS -4CJ. Additionally, the public can log on to the Division of Criminal Justice Web page at www.njdcj.org to electronically report information. All information received by the Division of Criminal Justice will remain confidential.
Online Tip Form
“We are making every effort to find the person or persons who caused this medical-type waste to wash up in Avalon,” said Attorney General Milgram. “We are committed to protecting the Shore and its visitors, and will prosecute to the full extent of the law anyone found to have violated our criminal statutes by dumping this waste into the ocean.”
The reward is funded through the New Jersey Clean Water Enforcement Fund. The Clean Water Enforcement Fund collects fines and penalties from defendants and corporations convicted of environmental crimes. The fund is used for clean water enforcement investigations and initiatives conducted by the Division of Criminal Justice Environmental Crimes Bureau.
At approximately 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, bathers at Avalon’s 9th Street beach advised lifeguards that they had found syringes washing up on the beach. Lifeguards notified local officials, who contacted the state Department of Environmental Protection. The Environmental Crimes Bureau in the Attorney General’s Office was alerted, and detectives from the Bureau commenced an investigation with the Avalon Police Department on Saturday. The investigation is being coordinated with the DEP.
On Saturday morning, between 100 and 200 syringes washed up along with gauze and other medical-type waste on the Avalon beach between 9th and 24th Streets. On Sunday afternoon at high tide, an additional 25 to 35 syringes were found on the beach between 9th and 17th Streets. A small number of additional syringes were discovered on Tuesday. Local officials have closed the beach three times because of the waste.
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