Morning Journal/Stephanie Ujhelyi Marion Perkins, Liverpool Township’s retired police chief, stands by a decommissioned township vehicle that he uses to transport community improvement program workers around though the community, doing everything from picking up trash to washing police cruisers.

LACROFT — In the 1970s, Keep America Beautiful had the weeping Indian, who represented a nation’s conscience. However, in 2021, Liverpool Township has Marion Perkins, who finds himself behind the wheel of a decommissioned police cruiser, overseeing the township’s new litter control program.

Twelve hours a week (Monday through Wednesday), Perkins chaperons workers who are serving community service sanction hours for East Liverpool Municipal Court Judge Dominic Frank. It could be for criminal damaging or an OVI. The offenses vary in severity.

It was a bit of a return for Perkins, who served as the township’s police chief from 1970 to 2000 until retiring. Previously he had run the court’s community improvement program for nine years until it was discontinued years ago with no explanation.

Tired of seeing the trash blowing around the township roads, he offered to resurrect the effort at the township level, and trustees agreed.

The program started June 1 and will run all summer through the end of August.

Right now, workers are picking up dozens of bags of trash in their four-hour shifts three days a week; however, Perkins said that they will do a variety of tasks, including washing police cruisers as well as assisting non-profit organizations and township churches with their most pressing needs. He acknowledges that so far, his charges are good workers.

For example, during a sweep through the Shadyside and Dunn area for four hours recently, two workers gathered 36 large bags of trash, which were sitting along township roads where road crews later dispose of them. Last week, a two-man crew tackled the Westfield Road area, as Perkins followed behind until transporting them to their next stop.

Trustee chairman Dennis Giambroni speaks highly about both the effort and Perkins’ willingness to volunteer. “The city of East Liverpool was doing its monthly cleanup days during the summer. St. Clair Township had its own cleanup day, and we had wanted to do something too. We thought about it and decided to put this in place,” he said. Giambroni hopes that some others step forward and carry on the legacy after Perkins decides to hang it up.

For more information about the township’s community improvement program, contact Perkins through the Liverpool Township administration building at 330-385-1630.