Nationwide, there’s been a rash of portable restroom arson fires over the past few years, and the folks in Eagan, Minn., are looking for ways to combat the trend in units kept at city parks.
According to the Eagan Patch website, http://eagan.patch.com/articles/eagan-porta-potty-pyro-s-prompts-reward-offer, there have been three portable restroom fires set in October, and another incident earlier this year. Fed up with the costly vandalism, a reward is being offered to catch the arsonists.
The municipality, which rents 50 to 60 units for its park system, is posting a reward for information leading to an arrest in the incidents. The reward is being offered by the Minnesota chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators. The amount of the reward will vary depending on the value of the information.
Local PRO Tom Roesner of Nature Calls Inc. told the news outlet that the losses this year total about $5,000 and the city doesn’t pick up the cost of the damages. He said he is reconsidering renting units to the city in the future.
Have you lost portable sanitation equipment to arson fires this year? Is arson and other vandalism becoming a bigger problem for you? If so, how are you fighting the losses? Requiring customers to pay for damaged units? Encouraging more damage waivers? We’d like to get your input on this startling trend that’s putting a dent in revenue for many PROs. Drop me a line and tell me about your experiences at editor@promonthly.com.
