Thieves Watching Holiday Trash To Find Targets
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - As the holiday season comes to an end, many North Texans are busy enjoying their newly acquired high-tech gifts and gadgets. But what happened to the packaging? Experts are warning consumers to think twice about how they toss the boxes.
Garbage collectors in Fort Worth had an extra-heavy work load on Tuesday morning, the first day for trash collection after Christmas. Brandon Bennett with the City of Fort Worth explained, "The first pick-up after the holiday, you can put out up to two 30-gallon bags of extra garbage out."
But as the saying goes, one man's trash can soon become another man's treasure – and your holiday trash could soon make you a buglary victim. Thieves are keeping a close eye on residential trash cans, looking for their next targets.
"That's pretty scary," said Fort Worth resident Diana Lopez.
The boxes from large electronics are like an open invitation for crooks looking to swipe a big ticket item. Bennett said, "Unfortunately, we have story after story of people getting a new TV, putting the box out, and a few days later their house is broken into and their TV is gone."
A quick drive through Fort Worth neighborhoods on Tuesday found several homes where new television boxes – and other large packages – were clearly on display, waiting to be collected at the curb.
"We got some big electronics and we got a TV," said Lopez. But she and her family did the right thing. Looking at their trash, you would never know what pricey items were opened on Christmas morning. Cardboard boxes were broken down and placed inside of a trash bags and recycling containers.
The thought of thieves trolling the streets makes residents like Lopez take extra caution with holiday garbage. "We recommend people cut up the boxes, put them in the recycling container or take them to the drop-off locations," Bennett said. Click here for a list of drop-off locations.
