South Gate Police Department Warns Residents About Trash Theft

A recent crime wave has thieves stealing, not from your home, but from your trash can. The loot is recyclables and at times personal information. 

According to the South Gate Police Department (SGPD), residents are waking up at night to find thieves busy gathering cans, bottles, and any other material they might exchange for cash at a recycling collection center. While the thefts may not sound sinister – more of an annoyance than a serious crime – they can take a serious turn when thieves make off with private information, such as social security and bank account numbers.

Although garbage is technically public property once placed on the curb, it is illegal to steal recyclables. Under the South Gate Municipal Code #13.100.240, recycling theft is a misdemeanor. The law states:

“A.    No person other than the collector which provides collection services at residential premises, or the residential owner or householder occupying the residential premises in or upon which a solid waste container or recyclable materials container is placed at curbside for collection, shall remove any material from such container.

B.    Any person violating any provision of this section shall be guilty of either a misdemeanor or an infraction as determined by law enforcement officers, and shall be punishable as provided in Chapter 1.56 of this code.”

Police can arrest perpetrators on site or issue a citation. If a criminal is apprehended twice, he or she will be immediately arrested. Then Public Works personnel must be available to confiscate the stolen recyclables until Waste Management can collect them.

Identity theft is a growing concern throughout the country. The criminal need only search the garbage of an unsuspecting victim to uncover personal data.

Police are urging South Gate inhabitants to be vigilant.

Captain Keith Hupp of the SGPD reminds residents:

“That sensitive documents that contain personal information such as names, dates of birth, Social Security Numbers, bank statements and account numbers, and other sensitive data including personal bills should always be shredded with a good quality paper shredder before being disposed.  This will reduce the chance of becoming an identity theft victim. “

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