Garbage Scavenger - stealing from residential trash cans in Los Angeles

A scavenger is shown removing refuse from the garbage bins on a residential street. Most of the thieves seek recyclables in order to profit. Increasing numbers of these them steal the recyclable bottles, cans and containers from the City of Los Angeles, thus reducing city revenues and further damaging the city budget.

The best solution is to implement secure trash cans that prevent this theft. The City of Anaheim is experimenting with this idea and I was informed that the City of LA is contemplating secure garbage cans.

To make matters worse some of these persons leave a mess behind and do not pick up after themselves. I have confronted some of them and it appears many do not speak English and thus it is logical to conclude they are illegal immigrants from Mexico or Central America as they do speak Spanish. Additionally, they often utilize shopping carts which they have stolen from local supermarkets. Some people say these scavengers are better than beggars because the scavengers are making an effort to generate income by recycling.

The biggest complaint is the noise they make rummaging through the cans, banging bottles, and pushing their loud, rattling shopping carts. These noises are especially troubling when my wife and young daughter are trying to sleep and the thieves come during the night. I called the police numerous times however the LAPD never responds. The only way to alleviate the problem is to outlaw any nearby recycling centers. A nearby collection center at CVS was removed after numerous complaints.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• trash
• garbage
• refuse
• scavenger
• trash cans
• bins
• blue
• green
• black
• stealing
• recycling
• recyclables
• shopping
• cart
• cans
• bottles
• plastic

[ridestreet20]

the bums digging through your trash are not the ones leaving graffiti or part of gang violence. Shut down the recycling centers????? Are you saying recycling is a direct cause of theft?

[Tapper90020]

@ridestreet20 I never mentioned graffiti or violence so I don't know how that is relevant. Nearby recycling centers increase the probability that scavenging will occur in that vicinity.

[TurnFlintAround]

At first glance, they seem harmless. After some thought, they invade your privacy, for sure. Dumping water or other liquids out on the road is not acceptable. We use bags in flint, and the scavengers scatter the trash.

I'm surprised that you all have containers of three different colors. I assume that's for different types of trash, to make sorting or recycling simpler. Here's an idea... have a separate colored bin for the scavengers. They can only take things from that special bin.

[Tapper90020]

@TurnFlintAround You use bags! The scavengers must make a huge mess.

Blue can, recycling; green can, garden trimmings; black can, everything else for the dump. There is no winning this battle except for shutting down nearby recycling centers, which reduces the local demand for recyclable theft.

All the little annoyances add up - scavengers, graffitti, and gang violence - to make parts of our city appear somewhat like a Third World nation.

[Tapper90020]

@canuhandlethis69 My complaints are logical and you have rebutted not one of them. If you don't care, then go about your business and don't clutter the comment section for this video. I have more balls than 90% of citizens, however I am not going to get out of bed at 1am to confront a scavenger, thereby having to change my clothing, wake my wife, wake my 2 year old daughter. I recommend you read my original complain and think it through before you making off topic statements.

[canuhandlethis69]

@Tapper90020 Honestly im not trying to start shit, but you make no damn sense. Your complaining for somthing that ALOT of people really dont care about. He's diggin to find plastic and aluminum (THAT YOUR THROWING AWAY) thats MONEY HE NEEDS. and like i said "IF YOU SEE THEM MAKING A MESS, GROW SOME BALLS AND SAY SOMTHING" dont just stand there and record it hopeing someone on youtube will do somthing about it. L.A. is a big city not a nice little town, remeber that.

[Tapper90020]

@ridestreet20 Your comment on the legality of capturing video of activity on a public street is unfounded and therefore folly.  I never linked graffiti and violence to the issue of scavenging. It was a broad statement linking those factors to making a city less attractive and less civilized. My goal is to reduce the amount of scavenging and thus its annoyances to homeowners. I do not understand what your goal is in being contrarian on this issue.

[Tapper90020]

@ridestreet20 ridestreet20, your cavemen reference is not analogous. I like the aphorism "Live and Let Live" and so do many of my fellow countrymen. I take no issue in what lifestyle others choose. I do take issue when their choice infringes on my peace or disturbs my living space.

[Tapper90020]

@canuhandlethis69 Don't pretend you know what benefits me; it is no "favor" to me when the LA City budget, already in the red, is reduced because of the theft of these people. No, the garbage is not sold to the state anyway. Why do you provide misinformation? My concern is preventing the nuisance, so your recommendation to call immigration is absurd when only the local authority, LAPD, deals with nuisance.

[Tapper90020]

@METALMAN4Wii Your comments are absurd as I stated in the description how the scavengers are in fact a nuisance in making messes and disturbing noises.

[METALMAN4Wii]

@TheBe10n Ok fine you can shoot them with a Paintball Gun then if they step onto your property. but no freezing the Paintballs, ok fine you can freeze'em...!