Clearwater Police take back drugs, shred documents

CLEARWATER (FOX 13) - Clearwater Police and the city's Solid Waste Department teamed up Saturday to offer free shredding and to collect old or unneeded prescription drugs Saturday.

A large number of people turned out for the event at Westfield Countryside Mall.

The on-site shredding was offered as a deterrent to identity theft. Residents could bring documents that have sensitive information on them and they were shredded. Police said throwing such items away in the trash is not a good idea as they can be obtained by criminals.

The prescription drug collection is designed to get old, unwanted or expired medication out of homes. Many times, prescription drugs are targeted during residential burglaries or can end up in the hands of others. It's also not safe for the environment to throw them in the garbage or flush them down the toilet.

The medication collected Saturday was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for proper disposal.

Police said they collected a total of 519 pounds Saturday. In addition, 36,600 pounds of material were shredded at the same event.