RESIDENTS SHRED FEARS OF ID THEFT FREE: DRIVE-THROUGH PROGRAM DESTROYS SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS.

Byline: Adolfo Flores 

Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- Melinda Gillinger already had some money stolen from her bank account once through an identity theft, and she wants to make sure it never happens again.

The 40-year-old Canyon Country woman hauled three large boxes full of old documents containing sensitive personal data to the parking lot of the sheriff's station Saturday morning to have them shredded for free.

The city and Sheriff's Department co-sponsored the first drive-through Shred Day, an event designed to help local residents fight identity theft by providing them with free shredding services as they remained in their cars.

Residents were invited to bring up to five boxes of documents to be shredded and up to five boxes of old electronics and other e-waste to dump.

"I'm here to get rid of all the stuff I needed to shred but never had the time to do or enough shredding power to do it," Gillinger said.

"It can avoid identity theft, people taking our (information) and getting credit card offers."

Sgt. James Anderson, a detective specializing in burglary and fraud, said he gets more identity theft cases than residential burglaries and store thefts.

In fact identity theft hits more than 9 million Americans every year, including 1 million Californians, according to the Sheriff's Department.

"Instead of paying somebody to protect you from what's going to happen if someone gets your personal information, it's better to protect yourself by getting a shredder at home," Anderson said.

Confidential Data, a Valencia company, assisted by providing a large shredder inside a truck that can rip through about 240 pounds of documents in three minutes.

"Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the nation," said company owner Steve Sturgeon.

"If you don't have a shredder at home it, will become just like a garbage disposal or your TV, it will become a household appliance you can't live without."

Sgt. A.J. Rotella, the event's coordinator, said he expected the shredders to go through 10 tons of paper by the end of the day, while organizers would also dispose of 20 tons of electronic waste.

"We've probably seen at least 500 cars on each side," he said midday.

Jim Blankenship, a technician with the Sheriff's Department, was coordinating the electronic waste side of the event in which refrigerators, television sets and washers were being dumped off by their owners.

"Anything with a cord, the community is bringing in here," Blankenship said.

Electronic Recyclers loaded up the unwanted appliances in their trucks and expected to collect 65,000 pounds by the end of the day.

Rebecca Garcia, 45, of Castaic not only had boxes full of papers to shred, but also two old computers she needed to get rid of.

"I have a lot of legal documents and old tax papers, and I want to make sure they're shredded," Garcia said. "It's free, it's easy. You just have to drop it off, and it helps clean my garage."

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Photo:

Explorers Anthony Wong-Lopez, left, and Stephen North unload computer equipment at the community shred and e-waste disposal event in Santa Clarita.

Evan Yee Staff Photographer