It’s not yet been five months, but Bridgeport City Clerk’s phone is already starting to ring with a familiar question. And that question is this: “When is the next Shred-It Day?”

 

For those reading this, there’s no need to call Kerr. She’s said the second Shred-It Day for 2017, and the eighth hosted by the city, will take place Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. until noon.

 

It will again be held in the parking lot of the Bridgeport Municipal Complex.

 

The event began several years ago, Kerr said, with the goal to provide an event that would prove beneficial for residents and would continue as long as it was utilized. The first seven events have seen the truck filled to capacity every single time from community members looking to safely shred documents.

 

The event runs for three hours. However, if the truck is filled up prior to noon, as has happened before, the event will end early.

 

In March of this year, the truck filled up just at the end. Kerr said that it was the first year they saw a drop in the numbers of people participating.

 

“We’re not sure if it’s a result of most people cleaning out the bulk of their items needing shredded or that there was a big sporting event that took place the same day as our last Shred-It Day,” said Kerr. “We’ll probably have a better feel if we should consider doing one a year after this one.”

 

The event, which has ran twice annually since its inception, is funded through the City Clerk’s office line item in the budget. Kerr said the total for the year is $2,500.

 

“I think it’s a really nice service, particularly in this day and age where a lot of people are scared to put any type of sensitive document in the garbage,” said Kerr. “With the city offering this service, I think this may make people feel better about getting stuff out of the house in a safe manner and not feel like they’re hoarding stuff.”

 

The company that handles the event is actually called “Shred-It.” They are based out of Pittsburgh and the city actually utilizes them on a monthly basis.

 

“We have four bins for documents at city hall that are filled for shredding. You have police, financial, engineering and other documents that may have sensitive information, and even items with general information, that need to be properly disposed,” said Kerr. “They’re a big asset for us from that standpoint and have been reliable.”

 

Again, the shredding service is free to the community. Businesses are not allowed to bring in items as it is for residential use only.