Inspection?

First I thought this gentleman was a scavenger, but he then took his cane and stuck it into the garbage as if he was measuring its contents.  Looking closely at his raincoat shows he is an official working for the "City of New York".   I don't know why.

Inspection

$20,000 bike

For whatever reason, Exchange Place was blocked off and there was bagged garbage all over the sidewalks. I heard a security man tell a driver, "That's a $20,000 bike under there. I told him not to park there." I walked across the street and saw what he was talking about and took this shot.