AS wheelie bins continue to be damaged and stolen across Down District, C District PSNI and the recently formed Down Police and Community partnership have joined forces to raise awareness about this issue which affects may elderly , needy and vulnerable, people across the district.
PCSP Chairperson Councillor Carmel O’Boyle said: “The issue of stolen or damaged bins continues to be a key concern for members of the community because it causes a great deal of upset and inconvenience for the victims of this crime.
“It is unsettling for many people to know that they have been targeted and in some instances people can become repeat victims. On top of that there is the problem of finding money to replace an essential household item and for certain people in the community who exist on a pension or benefits this can cause added trauma.”
PSNI Area Commander Deirdre Bones added: “Police are aware that there have been a number of thefts of bins and we are keen to keep educating members of the public through press releases, leaflets drops to areas most affected and appeals by myself at meetings for members of the public to take steps to prevent thefts.
“I would encourage people to be vigilant about looking after their bins so as not to provide thieves with opportunities to strike. People should also mark bins with postcodes and their house number so that if the bin is stolen and police come across it, it is possible to identify where it was stolen from.”
Down District Council’s Director of Environmental Services Canice O’Rourke said: “Unfortunately we live in a society where personal property gets stolen, and wheelie bins are no exception. It is therefore important that individuals realise that their wheelie bin is a valuable asset and treat it as such.
“As with most opportunistic crime, thefts of wheelie bins typically happens under the cover of darkness, so our advice would be not to leave you bin out over night and only put it out for 7.30am on the morning of your collection. In addition we would suggest you take it back in again as soon as possible after it has been emptied.”
