Theft of services in Stevi

By Michael Howell

Stevensville Police Chief James Marble is warning Stevensville residents to keep an eye on their trash cans. Marble said that, perhaps due to hard economic times, people that need to dispose of their residential trash and do not have a place to put it have been using apartment dumpsters, commercial business dumpsters, and residential garbage cans.

Marble said that unauthorized use of someone else’s trash can is a crime called theft of services. Basically, a theft of service is when someone uses a service that is paid for by someone else. In this particular case, the service is the use of dumpsters or residential garbage cans.

“I would like to urge residential people to keep a close eye on their trash containers, especially on trash collection day. If someone witnesses any suspicious activity in their area, or sees a person unloading trash from a vehicle into a trash container, I urge them to call law enforcement immediately,” said Marble.

Commercial business owners and apartment managers may contact their disposal collection company and request that a lock be installed on their dumpsters. If a person suspects that their trash can or dumpster is being used, the owner should check the contents of the can for materials, papers, or packages that have a person’s name on them that is not one of the persons that is allowed to use the trash container. If it is discovered that there are materials with names on them in the container, then the owner of the container should call law enforcement immediately.

Marble said the number of incidences has gotten out of hand and the situation needs to be turned around.