Each and every day, the work of our trash and recycling collectors bring them into our cities and neighborhoods. They go door to door providing a valuable service just as they did when I was a child over 50 years ago. Back then I dreamed of someday riding on the back of one of those trucks and being a “garbage man”.

Waste Management recently invited me to participate in a training program for your neighborhood trash collectors where police from around the Puget Sound-area provide guidance to the drivers on what to do if they encounter suspicious or illegal activity in the neighborhoods they serve. I learned that Waste Management started this program in Seattle 12 years ago and now implements it throughout the country.

This program is an example of Waste Management’s commitment to great service and to keeping our communities safe and strong. As a Federal Way resident, I have gotten to know the men and women who provide trash collection services in my community. They are exceptional people who take pride in their work. As a police chief in a neighboring city, I rode the collection route in my community. The drivers and staff of Waste Management that service Federal Way, Algona and other south-end communities are truly extraordinary people who care greatly about the communities they serve. As a police chief in a neighboring jurisdiction and as a resident of Federal Way, I want to thank Waste Management and their employees for providing great service to our communities.

Mike Sanford, Federal Way