Thieves outside your house

Star Ledger reported “Here’s a tip: Leave trash collectors’ holiday gifts alone”

A homeowner spotted two jerks stealing tips and gifts left for the garbage men. His actions resulted in the police arresting the scoundrels.

Chatham folks are good to their garbage collectors, leaving between $20 and $60 in envelopes taped to the lids or hats and gloves, sometimes cookies and, rarely, beer or liquor, police said.

The suspects, it turns out, were well-aware of the generosity of Chatham residents. Both men are former employees of the company that handles the town’s trash and were allegedly stealing from their former co-workers.

This is a typical example of why you shouldn’t leave anything outside your house. Don’t leave tips outside — try to hand it to the person. Never put your outgoing mail in your mailbox. It’s just an invitation for thieves. They can be gone so fast you’d never know they were there. Odds are in their favor that no one will notice them or do anything about it.

-Roland