SEBASTIAN — The residents of Sebastian, and elsewhere in the county, will have a few more sets of eyes keeping watch over their community when Waste Management rolls out its Waste Watch program.
The men and women who collect the city’s trash will be on the lookout for anything that seems out of place and will report to the Sebastian Police Department if something doesn’t seem right.
They are an “extra set of eyes and ears for us,” said Sebastian Community Policing Officer Steve Marcinik. “It can be as simple as that.”
Ofc. Marcinik said that while he wasn’t fully briefed on Waste Watch, he understands it to be akin to Neighborhood Watch.
“The more eyes and ears out there that we have assisting” the better, he said.
He and other members of local law enforcement agencies, including the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office and the Vero Beach Police Department were expected to meet with Waste Management officials this week to discuss the Waste Watch program and how it could be implemented along Waste Management’s routes throughout the area.
Sheriff Deryl Loar said he is looking forward to working with Waste Management’s Waste Watch program. He said the program is similar to that of other businesses in the county, including the U.S. Postal Service, FedEX and UPS.
“We have wonderful relationships,” Sheriff Loar said of those groups.
George Geletko, a consultant for Waste Management, told the Sebastian City Council earlier this year that the plan was to roll out the program by the end of July.
Amy Boyson, Waste Management’s community affairs manager, said the program won’t be active until closer to a few months from now – but before the end of the year.
“It takes time,” she said, explaining that the haulers need to be trained on what information law enforcement officers need.
The person who does that training, a former FBI agent, is in demand around the nation, Boyson said, which means scheduling the training could take some maneuvering.
Boyson said that one of the perks of Waste Watch is that the trash haulers are out on the roads, in the communities during the hours when most other people are not, seeing the environment at a time when few other eyes are there.
The drivers will be trained on how to call in a suspicious report, Boyson said. And they will only report – not get involved other than to activate their vehicle camera if need be.
“Our drivers know their routes,” Boyson said, explaining that the program has been successful at thwarting thefts and other potentially bad situations where it has been rolled out.
Earlier this year, in Manatee County, Waste Watch helped law enforcement nab two people who had stolen lawn equipment, according to Boyson. The driver saw the two suspects loading up the equipment and thought it suspicious.
The driver called the local law enforcement agency and gave authorities a description of the suspects and their vehicle.
The suspects were later arrested, Boyson said.
About a year ago, in Miami, a Waste Watch hauler was working his route in an industrial area and smelled smoke.
“He didn’t feel right about it,” Boyson said, so the hauler called it in.
Emergency responders arrived on scene and found the fire – and a man sleeping in the burning building. The man was removed from the building and the fire extinguished.
While the hauler most likely would have called in the smoke regardless of participating in the Waste Watch program, Boyson said the program helps the haulers feel “just that bit more connected to the community. Sometime people might be hesitant” to call.
Waste Watch reminds the haulers that it’s OK to call, she said.
It’s the same sentiment Ofc. Marcinik feels regarding the Neighborhood Watch program – it’s OK to call.
“‘I didn’t want to bother you,’” Ofc. Marcinik said he hears from citizens frequently. “I encourage them to call.”
He said he often hears from people after a burglary or other crime has been committed – they saw something but didn’t say anything because they weren’t sure.
“They explain it away in their mind,” Ofc. Marcinik said.
That’s what the Waste Watch training is about – what to look out for and to encourage the call, whether to Waste Management’s dispatch or to law enforcement.
Waste Management agreed to bring in the Waste Watch program as part of its franchise agreement with the City of Sebastian. The city recently underwent a bidding process for subscription-based trash service, which Waste Management won.
Along with Waste Watch, Waste Management has agreed to provide 64-gallon wheeled carts for trash collection to its customers.
Those who do not need or cannot handle a 64-gallon bin can request a 36-gallon bin. The carts are currently being delivered to customers and will be through Aug. 9. Customers will begin using them on Aug. 12.
The company also agreed to provide several perks the City Council requested, including two community cleanups, one annual special event cleanup each for electronics, paper shredding, and white goods, and trash collection for the four major city-sponsored festivals at Riverview Park.
Despite the increased services Waste Management agreed to provide the city, the company lowered its customer rates.
Most residential customers saw their bill from Waste Management decrease this month when the new franchise agreement went into effect.
The typical residential customer was paying $38.82 per quarter – or $12.94 a month. Under the new agreement, customers will pay $33.54 per quarter – or $11.18 a month.
Residential trash collection is not mandated in the City of Sebastian. Residents can choose whether or not to participate.
