Dive summary:

• The Antioch Police Department approached Republic Services Inc. and offered drivers tips about how to respond to crimes witnessed while on trash routes.
• Due to low numbers of police patrolling Antioch, Calif., officials are asking that sanitation workers who observe suspicious behavior to record the information then contact the police department.
• The program "We're Looking Out For You" empowers both sanitation and postal workers to report unusual activity and is a shared effort to bring the community together through reduced crime.

From the article:

... "Antioch is in the midst of what some city leaders have called a "crime emergency" because its overall crime rate jumped by 24.2 percent in 2012 compared with the previous year."

"Antioch police's tactics reflect what's already happening elsewhere: Fairfield police established a partnership with Republic Services in January." ...