Doing More with Less

One of the fundamental reasons for implementing Community Based Government is to find ways to maximize the skills of every employee to ensure that we are doing what can to do more with less. One of our staff members, Will Smith, passed on a perfect example of Community Based Government in Phoenix:


Phoenix police, waste firm patrol communities
by Sadie Jo Smokey and Michael Ferraresi - Jan. 16, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

The rumble and braking of a large green garbage truck. The hollow metallic clank of an empty garbage bin hitting the ground. Rhythmic, familiar sounds in neighborhoods across the city, so much so that they're often ignored.

That's what Phoenix police are counting on as dozens of truck drivers work anonymously while collecting garbage and watching the alleys, streets and businesses - a function many Block Watch and neighborhood patrol groups already provide to officers.

The new partnership is part of a national neighborhood program called Waste Watch. It's an alliance of Phoenix police and Waste Management employees who support public safety by reporting fires, broken windows, abandoned cars, suspicious people or criminal activity.

Phoenix is the first city in the state to participate. Waste Management, which primarily serves commercial clients, plans to expand the program statewide.

Meyer Turken, chairman of the McDowell Corridor Community Alliance in Maryvale, applauds the partnership, "especially due to the fact that the waste business is highly competitive and cost sensitive."

The concept is not new to drivers, said Melissa Quillard of Waste Management of Arizona. Many drive the same 150-mile route for years and often report crime or other suspicious activity. This partnership gives the newly trained 80 drivers a more efficient way to communicate with police. The drivers, who must pass a criminal background check, are trained on what to look out for, as well as the proper way to handle different situations.

"Just a few weeks ago, one of our drivers spotted a house fire while on route and immediately notified the authorities and woke up the people living inside," Quillard said.
Police officers said vigilant trash collectors will help patrol officers in ways similar to Phoenix citizen neighborhood patrols.

The Waste Watch program has trained about 4,000 drivers across the U.S. and Canada.
As many as 300 could be trained in the coming year, said Phoenix police Officer Jill Fowler, who oversees the city's neighborhood patrol training through the Police Department's Community Relations Bureau. Garbage workers will be trained how to relay details of suspicious activity to dispatchers so patrol officers can effectively respond.

Fowler said she envisions expanding the program to other Valley cities and providing similar training to companies like Valley Metro or UPS in light of economic strains on Valley police.