March 20, 2024
Should you collect samples or other physical evidence?
By all means, you should not try and collect samples. In the first place, there is some possibility that an illicit discharge may be toxic or otherwise hazardous. The City of Indian Rocks Beach does not want residents taking risks with their health.
In the second place, there is an art to taking evidence that will hold up in court, and people trained to collect samples for evidence should do the sampling. If you attempt to do it, you might end up contaminating either the samples or the site. If you see an illicit discharge, report the problem and let trained people take it from there.