Atlanta Refuse Drivers Join Neighborhood Watch Program

WORLD WASTES STAFF

Atlanta - The waste and recycling collection crews of Houston-based Browning-Ferris Industries (BFI) help keep Atlanta clean can now add the words "crime fighter" to their job descriptions.

A new neighborhood watch program initiated by BFI, True Blue Looking Out For You, has the collection crews on the lookout for any suspicious activities, fires, accidents or hazardous road conditions.

The crews will then report them to their dispatchers who in turn will contact the appropriate authorities. Training for the crews was provided by the Atlanta Police Department.

"Through the use of our two-way radios and our alert crews, we can provide an extra measure of neighborhood safety by using our eyes and ears to report any activity which might warrant a fire, police or medical response," said BFI's Atlanta District Manager Lang Herndon.

Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell welcomed the program "as an example of how corporate America and the government sector can work together" to provide a safer and cleaner environment for city residents throughout the country.