Every Monday morning around 7:20 AM, a quiet but consistent operation unfolds across neighborhoods in Newnan: curbside trash bins are emptied with precision. Bags disappear. Lids often closed. Cans kept at the curb. And the entire operation is done in under a minute at each residence. A thorough, specific, and disturbingly successful operation, leaving this resident to ask: who, how, and why?
Many residents seem to be unphased by this pattern, leaving lone journalist to investigate the cause before the crime becomes a spree across all of Coweta. For a process that touches nearly every home, there is surprisingly little urgency in figuring out what happens to the trash we leave at our curbs.
Some residents note seeing and hearing a large truck in the early hours of the morning make it’s way through their neighborhood. Children have cowered under their beds to escape the loud clanging and banging of the thieves getaway vehicle, while dogs have lost their minds in an effort to scare away the criminals.
This lack of clarity leads to unnecessary confusion and fear among Newnan locals. In an age when residents are encouraged to safeguard their data and be aware of who accesses their property, even curbside crimes deserve an in-depth investigation by the Newnan Police Department. Trash, though easily dismissed, contains private information and its collection should be handled with transparency and trust and not brushed off as “leave me alone, Harold.”
This is not an accusation of wrongdoing by the Newnan PD., but the criminal enterprise appears efficient and professional. Are these not the kind of criminals that turn small operations to County wide chaos? If you saw someone dealing Adderall on the street, would you wait for them to deal heroin before saying anything?
When everyday services are invisible, it becomes easy to overlook basic questions. But even something as routine as trash collection should be seen, understood, and stopped at the source.
Because when criminals can operate in police silence, trust can’t be heard.
And in Newnan, it’s time to take notice of who’s taking the trash.
Newnan Time with Harold 