Waste Watch
Helping Keep Neighborhoods Safe is an important way Waste Management works with Communities across North America
Our truck drivers often drive through community streets in the early hours of the morning. This puts them in an ideal position to spot unusual, and potentially dangerous, situations - especially if they are trained to recognize signs of trouble.
WM's "Waste Watch" community safety program began in Forest Grove, Oregon, in 2004 and has since spread to more than 100 communities across North America. The program trains drivers to look and listen for suspicious activities and emergency situations, and then report their observations to public safety and law enforcement agencies. To date, some 4,000 Waste Management drivers have been trained.
Over the years, the program has received widespread national acclaim, earning recognition from local municipalities and the National Sheriffs' Association's Award of Excellence in Neighborhood Watch. Our drivers have been lauded for reporting suspicious activity ranging from thefts to vandalism. Drivers have also helped save lives by calling in emergency medical assistance for individuals observed to be in physical distress. We also partner with other safety-related organizations and programs, including Amber Alert, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Community Crime Stoppers and the Department of Homeland Security.