A Solution to Poaching of Recyclables : Off-duty LAPD officers, paid out of program coffers, could crack down on big-time thieves

Council members Laura Chick, Ruth Galanter and a clear majority on the Los Angeles City Council seem to have come up with a reasonable way to crack down on the new form of organized crime: stealing recyclable trash. Here’s why we think so.

Yes, the enforcement program will use Los Angeles Police Department officers and reserve officers. But it will not mean that LAPD officers will have to devote regular patrol time to chasing the Sunday comics page, rather than hardened criminals. The recycling duty will occur on off-duty hours and qualifies as overtime.

Our one concern here is that the amount of off-duty work performed by all LAPD officers ought to be monitored so that it never becomes excessive. An alert and rested cop is generally far better on patrol than one who is exhausted.

Next, the money to pay for the recycling duty will not come out of the police budget or funds that might be earmarked for increasing the size of the LAPD. The source for this extra duty will come from state grants, and from revenue from the city’s recycling program amounting to $600,000.

Also, the new citywide patrol program will not include the time-consuming and ineffectual targeting of homeless people or individuals who merely collect newspapers in shopping carts. The emphasis will rightly involve the highly organized recycling bin thieves who operate throughout the city using vans and flatbed trucks. These mobile trash robbers are bilking the city of an estimated $2 million a year in recycling revenue.

If you feel that the new patrols ought to target everyone, consider this: someone earning his or her change through discarded newspapers is going to be less likely to beg you for money outside your bank, favorite restaurant or freeway entrance ramp.

This program is not a panacea. It will not solve the recycling problem completely, but it does represent a legitimate, compassionate and thoughtful approach. It might also prevent the citizen-recyclers from souring on the whole idea.