By JASON COLLIE
While the mean city sleeps, litter lawman Bill Rihari is out hunting for clues.
His quarry: illegal rubbish dumpers. The evidence he needs: telltale leads pointing to the culprits responsible for dumping rubbish bags around inner Auckland outside the designated hours for pickup.
Mr Rihari cruises his patch in the
Auckland City Council "illegal refuse search vehicle," picking up the dumped bags and sifting through them for clues.
His task is to collect letters, bills and any other identifying documents from the top, middle and bottom of the bags - leading to offending dumpers and a council warning or prosecution.
It is a dirty job, and someone has to do it. But Mr Rihari is so keen he even keeps an eye out for rubbish when he is off duty shopping with his wife.
His detective work is part of the council's successful "clean streets" crackdown, designed to keep rubbish bags off the kerbside in the central business district outside the two collection times each day. It is also aimed at stopping the dumping of rubbish from outside the area.
Mr Rihari patrols the streets twice during the day and night and enjoys the hunt for clues. "It started out as a job, but it's become a little bit more than that," he says. "I get quite offended coming down the street and seeing the rubbish."
It can be tough getting a suspect in the bag, and already he understands a little about the frustrations of police work.
"We need three letters out of the bag with the same address to warn them. Sometimes you can only get one and it becomes quite frustrating."
So be careful out there, dumpers. Keep doing it and Mr Rihari will get you.
