By Jenny Teague
www.gunslinginghousewife.com
I grew up in the San Fernando Valley in a nice suburban neighborhood. Like every other city, we had our share of crime. One thing in particular I had never been exposed to until I moved to Reno were dumpster divers. For those of you who don't know what a dumpster diver is, consider them trash pirates. They go through trash looking for anything they can turn a profit from. Some people go for cans and recyclables, others go for discarded electronics and furniture. Then there are the really bad ones who look for your personal information. Bills and bank statements with your information on it. For the most part, the ones I have seen in town here are just looking for bottles and cans. But that still doesn't make what they do right.
Most people are unaware of their laws pertaining to trash diggers and dumpster divers where they live. In fact, if you ask a lot of law enforcement officers, they may not be aware of them either, or even handle the issue of these pesky people in a manner of waiting until something happens to do something about them. However, it is in fact illegal under certain circumstances to trash dig. The issue of privacy and trash came about in the 80's in the case of California vs. Greenwood, which police convicted a drug trafficker by digging through his trash and finding reasonable cause to get a search warrant. Some people thought it was in violation of the 4th Amendment, but in the end, it was stated if you put your trash on a curb, you are discarding it and leaving it to whoever gets it, be it the trash man, scavengers, kids, animals, etc. (http://www.fightidentitytheft.com/shred_supreme_court.html) However, many places consider trash digging in residential and commercial areas illegal (fortunately, here in Washoe County, Reno, NV it was deemed illegal as a health issue in 2008 http://www.saverenodumpsterdiving.com/1/post/2008/12/dumpster-divers-arrested-to-make-and-example-ofridiculous.html). It is definitely illegal in situations where the trash is located on private property where no-trespassing signs are posted. (For instance, our apartment has a communal dumpster in our parking lot. The lot is private property and only for the tenants to park in. There are no-trespassing signs posted on our building. When people come onto our lot and take trash, even though it is trash, they have now violated the no-trespassing law and have stolen from our complex.) The same goes for people who take from commercial trash. There is a reason grocery stores and other places have their dumpsters locked up and it's not because it is OK for people to dig through their trash. I have got a lot of grief from people who say that the dumpster divers are just trying to "make ends meet".
Perhaps they are, but a crime of passion is still a crime. I was the victim of a form of identity theft, most likely at the hands of a trash digger, fortunately, I am meticulous for checking my bank statements and when I noticed mysterious charges to my bank card, I called the company and told them to cancel the order as well as my bank telling them my card was stolen and to put a hold on my account.
So how do you deal with the issue of dumpster divers? In my personal experience, you need to be firm, knowledgeable, and persistent.
• Protect your identity. If you have a shredder, use it. If you don't take a ball point pen and scratch out the numbers of accounts and personal information. I've found Sharpies can offer a little hint of visibility and White-Out can be scratched off. Ball point pens will cover the information and wear down any ink printing. It's tedious, but a few minutes of prevention beat a few hours of repairs.
• Post the laws. If your trash is on your property and you have a no-trespassing sign, they are now trespassing and knowingly violating your trespassing warning.
• Know the laws. Tell the trash diggers they are breaking the law. Tell them they are being verbally warned and inform them that you will call the cops on them if the come back. Additionally, if you live in a state neighboring California, it is illegal to steal recyclables from one state and turn them in somewhere in California. California offers a higher redemption value for recyclables and people often will turn them in there instead for more money.
• Stand your ground. Yes, it is trash. But it is YOUR trash until the city comes to take it away. If anyone other than you takes it, they are stealing. You will call the cops.
I will say that due to the constant nagging my husband and I have done towards trash diggers, I gladly watch every Sunday as one of the more notorious diggers goes down our street and stops at every apartment complex and simply looks at our property and keeps walking by. Our diligence has resulted in a somewhat miniature revolution in cutting down potential crime. We're just two people. Imagine what can happen if everyone took a stand against trash diggers and says, "It's my trash and you're not gonna take it!"
Thanks Jenny.
Stay Vigilant...Safety is a Choice
-Vicki
