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Recycling and Poaching Several of you have e-mailed in the
past few weeks to comment on the apparent lack of enforcement around
recycling poaching. This
has become a source of great frustration, not only for citizens trying to
time the placement of recycling on the curb to dodge the poachers, but also
for Ecology Center employees doing their collections each morning. HistoryThe
Solid Waste Department told us “poaching has been an ongoing problem since
the curbside program started, and has increased with the improved prices for
materials. Until recently
arrests had to be prosecuted at the County level, and the penalties were
ineffective, so the only effective enforcement was to stop poaching vehicles
for outstanding traffic violations. This
has changed: now the offenses are handled in Berkeley, like a traffic
ticket.” Because of this and
renewed inspiration from constituents, the City is committed to an
anti-poaching effort. Poaching with VehiclesWhile it is true that this type of
crime is a low enforcement priority, the Police will pursue and cite
poachers who are operating out of a vehicle.
These poachers are costing the City and its contractors $50,000+ per
year in lost recyclables and in stolen recycling bins that need to be
replaced. Recycling
Center employees are prepared to identify and immediately report vehicles
used in poaching. In May 2005
alone, police issued several citations and made one arrest. All reports to the Police
become part of the public record, and can be used as evidence to track and
arrest violators. This
is why it is so important to report any suspicious activity, even if you
suspect the police will not respond in a timely manner. Poaching with Grocery CartsAccording to the Recycling Center,
the poachers operating out of grocery carts have little impact on the total
recycling collected. Police
will not cite poachers using a cart, but will respond to complaints of any
suspicious or illegal behavior. If
you make a report, be sure to include a clear and complete description of
the individual. DO NOT try to engage the individual or impede their
activities yourself. And as
with vehicle reports, even if an officer doesn’t report in a timely way,
the information you provide can be used to identify perpetrators in the
future. Reporting to the PoliceThe Solid Waste Department and the Police Department, collaborating with the Berkeley Safe Neighborhoods Committee, an organization of Neighborhood Watch representatives, have developed guidelines for reporting recycling theft. Those guidelines can be found at Reporting Poachers.
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