The seemingly homeless that scavenge trashcans for a scrap of food or recyclable bottles may not be as innocent as they appear. Mission Beach Town Council member Bob Craig launched an anti-scavenging program in 2007 to warn people about the threat from scavengers. His passion for the issue was born out of first-hand experience. “One time I saw someone looking through my neighbors’ trashcans and then I noticed he did not have any large bags in which to put the items,” Craig said. “Then it occurred to me that he was not looking for soda cans or bottles but rather for information which could be used in identity theft.” On another occasion, Craig watched someone search through trashcans in downtown Pacific Beach while carrying two large bags. As Craig got closer to the man, he realized the large bags contained bolt cutters and other tools used for burglary. Rummaging through a beach trashcan for a recyclable bottle is not against the law. Searching through a black, municipal trashcan parked on a resident’s driveway is illegal, according to San Diego’s Municipal Code 66.0301 As Craig focuses his efforts on “scavengers,” the police department warns neighbors to stay alert to any suspicious activity in their communities. People should shred and never throw away identity information like Social Security numbers or bank statements. “The whole function of the Neighborhood Watch is that if someone appears to be suspicious, call us and we’ll go out and check it out,” said Captain Shelley Zimmerman of the police department’s Northern Division. “Everyone needs to be aware of what goes on in their neighborhood. That’s the whole premise of Neighborhood Watch.” Fellow town council member Bob Ruane, who owns and manages a condominium complex in Mission Beach, shares sentiments similar to those of Craig. A few months ago, someone stole bicycles from Ruane’s complex. “When reviewing the videotape of the area I noticed one of the people rummaging through the trash cans, who I thought appeared fairly innocent-looking, was the same person who returned a few hours later and stole one of the bikes,” Ruane said. For both Craig and Ruane, the ability of a scavenger to appear harmless poses a challenge to deterring greater crimes. Someone may appear to be rummaging for recyclables but, in fact, he or she is surveying the area for unlocked doors and windows or property that is not properly secured. “Most people do not pay any attention to those who are scavenging,” Craig said. “So even the experienced thieves masquerade themselves as a homeless scavenger.” Residents have grown accustomed to seeing people search through trashcans and they think nothing of it, explained Craig. “Let us say there were no people scavenging at all,” Craig said. “Then if you saw someone who looked suspicious or was searching through trash cans they would draw immediate attention. Unfortunately that is often not the case right now.” To help curb the crime, Craig and Ruane have pasted anti-scavenging stickers on trashcans, and plan to erect metal signs in various languages that state scavenging is illegal. Pacific Beach Town Council offers residents anti-scavenging stickers, and the Mission Beach Town Council will hand out trashcan locks. Ruane believes that scavenging activities have decreased in the area since the city passed Prop. D to permanently ban alcohol on the beaches. “With Proposition D, we have seen a significant reduction in behavior problems at the beach as homeless people can no longer sit around and drink beer, nor are there as many collectibles to return for money,” Ruane said. “Nobody is bringing a 30-pack of Coke to the beach.” Zimmerman confirmed that overall crime has dropped along the beach communities, in part due to the ban on alcohol at beaches. Both violent and property crimes dropped in 2008 in the beach areas in the Northern Division. Violent crime, including murder, rape and aggravated assault, fell approximately 13 percent, while property crimes and theft decreased by approximately 12 percent. Car prowls fell by 6.4 percent. The Northern Division covers the beach communities from La Jolla to Mission Beach. Zimmerman noted that many factors contribute to the decrease in crime, including Neighborhood Watch activities and police programs. For instance, the police department trained more than 300 bartenders from beach-area bars about preventing sexual assault as part of the No Bystanders program. To help assert a police presence in the area, the Northern Division has also begun occasionally saturating an area, like Garnet Avenue, with policemen on-foot and in cars, who wear highly visible, reflective coats. Officers from other divisions assist the effort to create a strong police presence, if just for one weekend night. “People can see that we’re in the area and it’s a huge deterrent [to crime],” Zimmerman said. Zimmerman noted that thieves are more likely to break into a car to steal an iPod, phone or purse that is left visible on the car seat. “People can make their own luck,” Zimmerman said.