Shred It Day---Police Dept: Wait In Line!

When I arrived for Shred It Day at the DPW there was a LOOONG line. Why? The Police Dept had entered through the exit and was emptying its vans of material to be shredded. They blocked any progression of the real line and we all sat there waiting as cars lined up behind us, formed multiple lines and backed up into the driveway. I waited perhaps 15 minutes before the line of us Maplewood taxpayers began to move.

Why didn't the Police Dept empty there stuff before 9 am? Or, wait in line like the rest of us.

Generally the line moves quickly. I'm disappointed overall in this season's performance. It took DPW forever to schedule the date and then the township didn't send out an announcement until yesterday, the day before. While the DPW workers are always polite and helpful, one of them was rather rude to me and unhappy why I had so much to shred. Hey, we had accumulated several years of bills, etc.

If you don't like to wait, you can purchase a shredder for not a lot of money these days. Shred as you go No muss no fuss no wait!!

That stinks.

1. I am guessing that the shed-it company was commissioned to start at 9am and not earlier.

2. Your tax payers $ are also going to the police dept. also, I am not sure if waiting in line is the best use of their time.

3. I appreciate the fact that the police dept. shares this resource with the people of the town rather than paying to have a separate service for shredding.

We were there at about 10:20. No line. Only one car ahead of us. DPW workers were friendly and helpful. (Only suggestion: a few arrows indicating path of travel to the shredding truck. )

Anyone know what time it ends

unixiscool said:
1. I am guessing that the shed-it company was commissioned to start at 9am and not earlier.
2. Your tax payers $ are also going to the police dept. also, I am not sure if waiting in line is the best use of their time.
3. I appreciate the fact that the police dept. shares this resource with the people of the town rather than paying to have a separate service for shredding.

I'm gonna disagree on this one.

I wasn't there, and base this only on the information provided in the initial post.

The Police Department supposedly entered the disposal area through the exit alley.

This strikes me as akin to a patrol officer walking into a fast food restaurant, ignoring the line, and expecting to be treated to preferential service.

It just doesn't sit well with me.

TomR

A fast food restaurant run by the town?

I got there around 9:20 and saw the police emptying their stuff. I waited in line and didn't mind. I would rather them jump the line and go back to their jobs than sit in line and wait for every car ahead of them to watch all their stuff get shredded. That's what seemed to take the longest in my opinion. Everyone seemed to load up their stuff and then wait to watch it get shredded. i handed them my box of paper, they dumped it in the can I thanked them, and drove off. I didn't need to wait to watch it all get shredded.

Anyway. It's great that the town offers this. I may get my own shredder and shred as we get stuff from now on, though.

ctrzaska said:
A fast food restaurant run by the town?

I don't particularly care what entity, or person, runs the restaurant. (Although i do seem to recall that some smart guy told me, not long ago, that a municipality couldn't operate a for-profit enterprise).

I get the part about people not wanting our officers spending their time waiting on line; but a shredding day set up for local public use, should be used by the intended beneficiaries. Not government officers; and not by such officers going up the down staircase to avoid the line; and not by such officers during a limited time period that was set aside for the local public.

If Chief Cimino wants to allow his subordinates to say stick it, I gotta badge: I am severely disappointed in his leadership.

I the Chief was trying to save a few bucks; I suggest that he sharpen his budgeting skills, or find somebody with the requisite skills.

I stand by my analogy.

TomR

Why assume this event was set up for the exclusive use of the public? I do not believe it was. And, if I'm correct about that, I'd much prefer that the MPD a) not incur additional unnecessary costs and b) get back to ensuring public safety, which is clearly far more important than waiting in line for someone watching their electric bills go to pieces.

Now, assuming that an extra half hour of vendor time will not be excessively costly, then I can see opening up a half hour earlier to let municipal depts in. I could live with that.

ctrzaska said:
Why assume this event was set up for the exclusive use of the public? I do not believe it was. And, if I'm correct about that, I'd much prefer that the MPD a) not incur additional unnecessary costs and b) get back to ensuring public safety, which is clearly far more important than waiting in line for someone watching their electric bills go to pieces.
Now, assuming that an extra half hour of vendor time will not be excessively costly, then I can see opening up a half hour earlier to let municipal depts in. I could live with that.

http://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/index.aspx?nid=599

If shredding documents results in unnecessary costs, the P.D. shouldn't be shredding. If it's a necessary cost, Chief Cimino should work it into the Department's budget. (Let us reserve for another time, a discussion on the propriety of any governmental entity shredding documents, without oversight).

The Township paying some additional $$$ for municipal departments to shred that which is appropriately shredded at at time and/or place not inconveniencing the Township residents for whom this shredstock was scheduled? I' jiggy with that.

TomR