Mayors Corner (Jan-Feb 2010)
Posted by South Mountain Villager on February 9, 2010
By Mayor Phil Gordan
More eyes and ears on the streets to help Phoenix police
There’s a new crime buster team hitting the streets of Phoenix to help make our neighborhoods and community safer.
Waste Management has joined forces with the Phoenix Police Department to help law enforcement spot suspicious activity.
Under operation “Waste Watch,” Waste Management drivers will act as an extra set of eyes and years for police, fire departments and emergency services and report unusual activity that may take place while drivers are on their routes.
Recently Public Safety Manager Jack Harris and Waste Management Area Vice President Dan Vermeer announced how this proactive partnership will benefit the community.
It’s win-win situation all the way around.
Waste Management is using its own resources to train their drivers; meanwhile, Phoenix will assist with training by highlighting cautions, what to look for and how to report the suspicious criminal activity.
The program makes sense for the city and for the Waste Management drivers.
After all, they live in this community and they also care about the safety of their families.
“Waste Watch” is in every sense a community-based crime fighting effort.
The drivers are familiar with their routes and neighborhoods they cover, which make them excellent candidates for spotting suspicious activity.
There are other benefits, too.
In addition to fighting crime, Harris noted that similar community safety partnerships literally save hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Members of the Phoenix Neighborhood Patrol program, for example, logged on nearly 19,000 hours this year and that translates into more than $380,000 in savings for the city of Phoenix.
This community investment by Waste Management will help to prevent crime and violence in neighborhoods throughout the city.
I want to thank and commend them for taking this positive and selfless endeavor.
