Police, Waste Pro team up to keep homes safe after gift boxes hit the curb

Is your kid the lucky one who got the new PlayStation 5 for the holidays?

A problem manifesting after you successfully get your hands on one is when the empty console box hits the curb, and everyone knows it’s in your house, including the bad guys.

Cape Coral Police Department is partnering with Waste Pro to keep community members safe.

When you look down the street on Christmas morning, you know who got the new TV and computer and other new top-of-the-line electronics. The crooks know it too, and that makes picking out potential houses to rob easier for them.

Master Sgt. Patrick O’Grady, a CCPD public information officer, says that’s a problem.

“A lot of people, after Christmas is over, you’ve got all the packages; you’ve got all the boxes,” O’Grady said. “When you put it down to the roadway, you are advertising to the criminal what you recently got.”

CCPD has teamed up with Waste Pro to offer a creative solution.

“We’ve teamed up with the Cape Coral Police Department and Waste Pro to have specific bins set up for the city residents, so they can drop their boxes there instead of putting them down by the curb,” O’Grady said.

You can take the boxes to 1020 Cultural Park Boulevard across the street from Cape Coral City Hall and dispose of them safely. Now, thieves won’t know which house has the loot, unless they hear the kids screaming with joy. Plus, it could help the environment.

“It’s great for the environment because you are going to be recycling it instead of just throwing it out and taking up room in the landfill,” O’Grady said.

If you can’t make it to the drop-off spot, at least turn your boxes inside out, so anyone checking won’t be able to easily see what Santa brought you.

The drop-off site opens in Cape Coral Thursday and will be available through Dec. 28.

MORE:

• CCPD — Public Affairs Office
• CCPD – Crime Prevention Recycling Program