The following letter to the editor was published in the El Segundo Herald newspaper (HeraldPublications.com) on Thursday, February 10, 2011 in the Letters section on page 3. The El Segundo Herald has a strict 250-word limit.
Recycle Bin Sting
The El Segundo Police Department is currently conducting an undercover sting operation targeting people who are getting recycle cans and bottles from the curbside bins. I was witness to an arrest made by two uniformed policemen in two undercover cars, with a third black & white vehicle and another officer to transport the man to jail. Why so many needed to cruise the streets? The man involved was removing about 40 cents worth of aluminum cans from my neighbor’s trash.
El Segundo is in the middle of a large deficit, causing city worker layoffs and furlough days. How much money is this undercover operation costing our city? It would be interesting to know who implemented this “crack down”-was it City Hall or the Police Chief?
In ending this letter I want to mention my neighbor did not, and would not, press charges, realizing this man was only looking to help himself in these difficult times.
Jim Dutchess
El Segundo Police Officers' Association (ESPOA) Exposed