Caught on camera: Thieves steal NYC-mandated trash bin from outside Brighton Beach home
Usman Chughtai says the theft happened around 10:30 p.m. on a Thursday on Brighton 10th Street.
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A Brighton Beach homeowner is warning neighbors to keep an eye on their city-mandated trash bins after surveillance video captured two men allegedly stealing one from outside his house.
Usman Chughtai says the theft happened around 10:30 p.m. on a Thursday on Brighton 10th Street.
Security footage shows two men who Chughtai says had been parked near a fire hydrant for several hours in a Toyota Sienna. According to Chughtai, the men later returned to the vehicle and were seen changing its license plate before walking toward his property.
Moments later, the men allegedly took a New York City trash bin from the front of the home.
“I was shocked to see that somebody can even steal a garbage can, but apparently it's a hot item,” Chughtai said.
The incident comes just days after full enforcement of New York City's residential trash container requirements took effect on Sept. 8. Under the rules, homeowners who fail to use the required bins can face fines of up to $200.
Chughtai says the theft is especially frustrating because residents were required to purchase the containers.
“There are a lot of struggling people in this neighborhood,” he said. “They already had garbage bins. It was a mandate. So, they had to go and do it, this extra expense. Please stop this.”
According to Chughtai, police told him this is not the first reported theft involving one of the city-mandated bins.
He says he originally paid $59 for the container last year and had to spend $68 to replace the stolen bin.
Chughtai is now calling on city leaders to consider additional anti-theft measures, such as assigning official house numbers to the containers.
“I would like to request the city leadership to come up with a different method to prevent the theft,” he said. “Maybe having a house number on the front. And then if a sanitation worker sees that the garbage can does not match the property, they can report it.”
While each NYC trash bin carries a serial number, the city's sanitation website states that the number is used to verify that homeowners have the correct type of container, not to track ownership.
Until additional safeguards are introduced, Chughtai says he's encouraging neighbors to remain vigilant and keep a close watch on their bins.
