Apr 25, 2008 6:01 pm US/Eastern
Menino Takes Swift Action After I-Team Report
WBZ Cameras Caught Public Works Employees Slacking
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
WBZ undercover cameras caught Boston city workers wasting time, and your money, while on the job. Now Mayor Tom Menino is taking immediate action after seeing the I-Team investigation.
The video shows employees conducting their personal business on taxpayers' time, and now Boston will be keeping a closer eye on its workers.
The I-Team's investigation tracked Boston Public Works crews all across the city and found city workers slacking off and doing personal business on the job. Bottom line from the mayor -- it has to stop.
"If they don't fall in line, find a new place to work," Menino said.
The I-Team caught one crew driving down the expressway to Granite Avenue and loading a little girl into a big city dump truck. Other DPW employees ran errands, spent time hanging out at different homes while potholes swallow wheels and trash sits on the street.
"The public trust is violated. That's what bothers me the most," Menino said. "They should be out doing the work."
"These people know better than that. We've made it very clear," said Public Works Chief Dennis Royer. "We're asking for a fair days work for a fair day's wage."
But the I-Team found that was lacking over and over again. Crews were even dumping dirt and leaving a trail of litter behind.
Menino appointed Elmo Baldassari as deputy commissioner to oversee operations and to try and reign these workers in.
Private investigators hired by the city, working with the Boston Finance Commission, had their eye on the crews at the same time the I-Team was investigating. Jeff Conley said it was different crews, but the same story.
"It was more of the same people coming in late, everyone leaving early, and precious little work getting done," Conley said. "The public should have the right to expect people to do their job and that wasn't happening."
There are obvious problems with supervision and accountability. Some workers were falsifying their time sheets. The city will change some of its systems to try and stop that. They'll also start tracking crews using GPS. Disciplinary hearings for several of these public works employees will begin next week.
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(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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