Garbage Collectors on the Lookout for Ruse Burglars

In a new program called “Waste Watch,” the and Waste Management will work together in an effort to fight ruse burglaries in the village.

A ruse burglary is a crime in which someone distracts the homeowner while a second person enters the home and looks for things to steal.

Before the implementation of the Waste Watch program, the police department sent fliers and used the e-news bulletin to raise awareness of the ruse burglaries. In addition, to distribute crime alerts to residents.

Despite these efforts, Buffalo Grove had 11 ruse burglaries in 2011, with the last one reported in late October. According to Cmdr. Jim Newton, the elderly are the prime targets of the burglaries.

“We can only do so much, but people are still opening the door [to the burglars],” Newton said. “The people who do these crimes are good at them, and they’re believable. Residents don’t think [the burglars] are doing anything wrong.”

He also said that the people involved in the burglaries are careful, and won’t hit the same area twice in a week.

In the Waste Watch program, Waste Management drivers are trained to assist police. The program launches on Jan. 10, when the drivers and route managers in Buffalo Grove will be trained by members of the BGPD as to what suspicious activities to look for while they are collecting garbage.

"We will not go into an in-depth overview," Newton said of the training. "We will just tell the drivers what to look for when they're on their routes."

Newton noted that crime prevention officers Pete Lippert and Paul Jamil were instrumental in implementing the program with Waste Management.

Waste Management picks up garbage in Buffalo Grove four days per week. However, pick-up days vary by location.

According to a press release from Waste Management, the drivers are to report suspicious activities and emergency situations to law enforcement authorities while on their collection routes. The garbage trucks are equipped with radios and mobile phones.

Bill Plunkett, a spokesman for Waste Management, said the Waste Watch program contributes to security in Buffalo Grove because drivers know the community so well.

“Our drivers can recognize when things might be suspicious,” he said. “As part of the program, members of the BGPD will train drivers as to what to look for in the community. The drivers are the additional eyes and ears.”

Launched in 2004, Waste Management’s Waste Watch program is used in approximately 100 communities nationwide, . Waste Management has also partnered with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.

“Any help is better than no help at all, and any help is good,” Newton said of the “Waste Watch” program.

“This program is a way for Waste Management to contribute to community, and to add value to the people of Buffalo Grove,” Plunkett said.