Photo by Fruggo (CC)
Aaron Cynic writes at Diatribe Media:
Remember London’s call to its citizens to paw through each other’s trash, looking for suspicious materials? Or the numerous times in America politicians have told us in not so subtle ways to keep a watchful and suspicious eye on our neighbors? Now, thanks to the Illinois State Police, trash collectors have been deputized in the surveillance state’s war on the population.
Cook County Sherriff Tom Dart enlisted 25 garbage collectors to train in surveillance tactics such as looking for pot plants in back yards, taking notes on abandoned cars or realizing that large containers could be a potential terrorist threat. The program, dubbed “Waste Watch” by Waste Management Inc, has already been implemented in 100 communities nationwide according to the Chicago Tribune. Sherriff Dart said the partnership is free and is akin to adding new officers on the streets.
