Rapid HotClean
New member
If this has previously been discussed here, please forgive me as I didn't do a search.
In yesterday's newspaper there was a two page article about how trash haulers in the Portland metro area are helping fight crime by acting as additional eyes and ears for law enforcement. The idea came out of the Washington County Sherrif's Department in 2004 when the agency felt it needed "backup" in the early morning hours when fewer officers are out on patrol. Area haulers were approached with the idea and the program started.
Waste Management was the first hauler to embrace the program, which is called Waste Watch. Other Oregon law enforcement agencies took notice of the program's success and it quickly spread throughout the metro area and around the state. Waste Management has since taken it nationwide and today it's operating within more than 100 communities and growing.
Drivers receive training and certification from local law enforcement agencies - more than 190 have been trained in the metro area. To expedite agency responses, each truck contains a list of appropriate emergency and non emergency phone numbers to call (e.g. mental health, detox patty wagon).
In Oregon Waste Management drivers make between 12 to 15 reports to law enforcement each month. They have thwarted burglars, caught vandals in the act, called in fires, assisted in medical emergencies, called ambulances, prevented I.D. theft by catching people sifting through dumpsters, etc.
The program routinely receives accolades from police, businesses, homeowner associations and private individuals.
You've probably figured out where I'm going with this, because our industry seems like a natural for a 'like' program.
1) PW contractors are out and working at all hours of the day and night - 24/7. Vacant and near vacant commercial and industrial areas by night, and by day residential subdivisions where people are often not at home (burglar heaven).
2) What a great way for our industry to give back to the community.
3) Would promote crime certified PW contractors as being the "good guys".
4) How about a memorable program name/acronym and a cool logo for prominate display on websites and trucks.
5) Certified contractors would stand out from the crowd and in doing so give businesses and homeowners a solid additional reason to use their services.
So, what do you guys think?
As a related aside, many years ago I witnessed a weekday morning residential burglary going down. There were two guys and they couldn't see me from my vantage point inside my car down the street. I was parked looking at a paper map, does anyone remember anymore what one of those was?
I saw the men breaking in, called the cops on my Mitsubishi "bag" cell phone, and watched as they started moving in and out of the house loading goods into their pickup. I stayed on the line with the dispatchers and walked them through it. I told them to come in quiet and when they arrived to hide behind a neighbor's hedge, which they did. I then let them know when both men were outside of the house (at the same time) in the driveway. With guns drawn the cops jumped out from behind the hedge and nabbed the C'esers. That felt good back then and it still does today.
In yesterday's newspaper there was a two page article about how trash haulers in the Portland metro area are helping fight crime by acting as additional eyes and ears for law enforcement. The idea came out of the Washington County Sherrif's Department in 2004 when the agency felt it needed "backup" in the early morning hours when fewer officers are out on patrol. Area haulers were approached with the idea and the program started.
Waste Management was the first hauler to embrace the program, which is called Waste Watch. Other Oregon law enforcement agencies took notice of the program's success and it quickly spread throughout the metro area and around the state. Waste Management has since taken it nationwide and today it's operating within more than 100 communities and growing.
Drivers receive training and certification from local law enforcement agencies - more than 190 have been trained in the metro area. To expedite agency responses, each truck contains a list of appropriate emergency and non emergency phone numbers to call (e.g. mental health, detox patty wagon).
In Oregon Waste Management drivers make between 12 to 15 reports to law enforcement each month. They have thwarted burglars, caught vandals in the act, called in fires, assisted in medical emergencies, called ambulances, prevented I.D. theft by catching people sifting through dumpsters, etc.
The program routinely receives accolades from police, businesses, homeowner associations and private individuals.
You've probably figured out where I'm going with this, because our industry seems like a natural for a 'like' program.
1) PW contractors are out and working at all hours of the day and night - 24/7. Vacant and near vacant commercial and industrial areas by night, and by day residential subdivisions where people are often not at home (burglar heaven).
2) What a great way for our industry to give back to the community.
3) Would promote crime certified PW contractors as being the "good guys".
4) How about a memorable program name/acronym and a cool logo for prominate display on websites and trucks.
5) Certified contractors would stand out from the crowd and in doing so give businesses and homeowners a solid additional reason to use their services.
So, what do you guys think?
As a related aside, many years ago I witnessed a weekday morning residential burglary going down. There were two guys and they couldn't see me from my vantage point inside my car down the street. I was parked looking at a paper map, does anyone remember anymore what one of those was?
I saw the men breaking in, called the cops on my Mitsubishi "bag" cell phone, and watched as they started moving in and out of the house loading goods into their pickup. I stayed on the line with the dispatchers and walked them through it. I told them to come in quiet and when they arrived to hide behind a neighbor's hedge, which they did. I then let them know when both men were outside of the house (at the same time) in the driveway. With guns drawn the cops jumped out from behind the hedge and nabbed the C'esers. That felt good back then and it still does today.
