WM plans to take public safety in Central Arkansas to a new height. The corporate security team of the national company, which handles trash and recycling collection in many parts of central Arkansas, is training local drivers to work in tandem with law enforcement personnel. Drivers learn how to be more aware of their surroundings, taking notice of what may seem different or out of place and alert authorities.
Like postman who are out in the streets, Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde said, “we have people who are going through our neighborhoods on a regular basis.” The local program was announced at the adjournment of the quarterly board meeting of the Regional Recycling and Waste Reduction District at the Waste Management’s Recycling Facility in the Port of Little Rock. Hyde, Pulaski County government’s chief executive official, is chairman of the Regional Recycling and Waste Reduction District.
The Waste Watch program began in Forest Grove, Oregon, in 2004 and has spread to more than 100 communities across North America since. According to Jamie Vernon, a representative for WM, 60 route operators in Central Arkansas have already been trained for the new program. While drivers won’t have direct communication to law enforcement dispatchers, there will be a radio present in all trucks that will allow operators to reach WM channels, which can be relayed to local law enforcement.