City cop whines about enforcing the law

Strange item (below in italics) in the Chronicle yesterday (S.F. getting tough on recycling centers), sneering at a crackdown on the well-organized thieves who steal from our recycling bins:

That's all well and good, but as a veteran officer (who did not want to be identified) said when he heard of the plan, "So we have the manpower to do that? Are they going to pay overtime for us to enforce that?"

The Captain at the Taraval Station thinks they have the manpower. 

This comment is surprising coming from one of our highly-compensated city cops. Entry level pay in the San Francisco Police Department is $88,842 to $112,164! 

It's bad enough that some cops game the system to puff up their retirement pay, as the Grand Jury reported three years ago (firemen are even worse offenders). Now they're going to whine about which laws they're going to enforce? They aren't already paid overtime when they work extra hours?

If Veteran Officer finds enforcing this law in city neighborhoods demeaning, maybe he should get a job change. 

There continue to be complaints about the "mosquito fleet" of trucks that swoop into neighborhoods and raid the blue recycling bins. Residents complain that the recycling pirates not only make a lot of noise in the wee hours, but also often leave a mess on the street.

Capt. Curtis Lum of the Taraval Station says his officers intend to step up enforcement. In his newsletter, Lum says a representative from Recology has provided him with a map that shows the days and locations of collection so that they can monitor the routes.

Nice idea. Although you'd think someone would have thought of that before. Lum also provided a phone number, (415) 553-0123, to call if you see someone raiding the recycling bins. He cautions residents not to confront the can and bottle bandits personally.

That's all well and good, but as a veteran officer (who did not want to be identified) said when he heard of the plan, "So we have the manpower to do that? Are they going to pay overtime for us to enforce that?"

We will get back to you on that.