Thieves are rummaging through cans and bags in Windsor Terrace and Kensington that are filled with paper to recycle. The cans and bags are put outdoors the night before the Sanitation Department is scheduled to collect the paper.
Discarded mail is the target of the thieves. Foil them by shredding papers containing personal information before you put them in your paper recycling bags or cans and then outdoors. Using a cross-cut paper shredder is preferable.
The types of papers that include personal information are Social Security statements, credit card and bank and other financial statements, pre-approved credit card applications, ATM receipts, utility bill account numbers, medical records, store register receipts with your partial credit card numbers, mailing labels, pay stubs, etc.
The thieves seem to be operating at night, so you might want to wait until the morning of the collection to put your paper recycling by the curb.
Report trash tampering incidents to the Department of Sanitation by calling 311 or by filling out the form on the department's website. The department won't deal with individuals rummaging through the recycling, but it does want to be informed when a vehicle is involved in the theft.