Signal Tribune Newspaper

Pre-approved credit card offers. Bank statements. Tax records. Receipts. Personal records. All of these were reduced to a truckload full of shreds in the latest effort to clean out closets and prevent crime.
More than three tons of documents were shredded and recycled on Saturday, June 14 at the first Shred Fest, hosted by Eighth District Councilwoman Rae Gabelich.
More than 150 residents and business owners utilized the drive-thru and drop-off set up in the parking lot in front of the North Division Police Substation at Scherer Park to destroy old financial records and personal documents.
The first five boxes per vehicle were disposed of for free, with a $5 fee for each additional box. Cars came nearly non-stop during the three-hour event, unloading everything from a small bag of papers to a couple of residents that required several trips to drop off 40 boxes of paperwork.
“We had a tremendous turnout for our first Shred Fest! The great success of the event shows that, as people learn more about the risks of identity theft, they are taking the steps to properly dispose of personal documents and receipts,” said Councilwoman Rae Gabelich.
Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States. It affects 9 million victims per year, with annual losses that exceed 50 billion dollars. Gabelich said that, based on the response for this first Shred Fest, her office will be planning a follow-up event in about six months.
The shredding was provided by Future Shredding, Inc., a local company based in Signal Hill. The documents were shredded on-site, with some residents witnessing the destruction through an on-board camera. The paper shreds and cardboard boxes were then recycled.
“We are thrilled with the success of the Shred Fest,” said Don Scarborough, president of Future Shredding. “Thank you to Rae Gabelich and her team for all their hard work in making this event possible. We look forward to having more in the future and working with the businesses and residents of our community.”
For more information about document shredding, residents can contact Future Shredding at (562) 426-0557 or online at www.futureshredding.com.