Scammer
Banned
- Investigators in New York are looking into a report that four sanitation supervisors assigned to clean up after last week's monster blizzard instead bought beer and sat in their car.
"We urge all members of the public, most especially City employees, to call us with any information about this matter or with any provable information about deliberate inaction or wrongdoing relating to the snow storm," said Department of Investigation (DOI) Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn in a statement.
Investigators responded to an article published by the New York Post on Sunday, which alleged that a group of on-duty sanitation supervisors bought beer and sat in their department car for hours Monday night. Citing an unnamed witness, the paper said the four supervisors in Brooklyn later told their bosses they ran out of gas.
The DOI commissioner said a video that reportedly had store surveillance evidence related to the allegation had been "over ridden."
"We are taking steps to try and reconstruct who was in the store," she said.
The New York City Department of Sanitation has drawn sharp criticism since last week's blizzard that blanketed much of the Northeast.
Rumors have swirled that officers ordered rank-and-file workers to slow down cleanup efforts in retaliation for the city's belt-tightening measures.
New York City Councilman Dan Halloran said three sanitation workers and two Department of Transportation supervisors came to his office saying their supervisors ordered the slowdown, telling workers, "the mayor will see how much he needs us" and "there will be plenty of overtime."
The head of New York's sanitation workers union, Harry Nespoli, said he was not aware of any slowdown and doubts there was a protest by workers.
Investigators have so far tracked down and spoken with at least two of the five workers who claimed they were told to slow down or not plow, according to Halloran.
"They (investigators) are leaving no stone unturned. They're going gangbusters on this and sparing no expense," he said.
Halloran also said he has seen city reports indicating that 400 sanitation workers called out sick and another 100 said they had the equivalent of an emergency two days after the storm hit last Sunday.
"That's about 10 percent of the work force of 5,600. It's unheard of," he said. Normally, Halloran said, two to four percent of workers call in sick.
Nespoli said the work force numbers around 5,800, adding that he did not know whether the other numbers Halloran provided are correct.
Nespoli does not represent the workers accused of buying beer during work hours. As supervisors, those workers belong to the Sanitation Officers Association Local 444, he said.
Officials from that union did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
"Before, everybody praised us. And now, all of a sudden everybody is mad. We had a lot of trouble out there. The snow was coming down three inches an hour. Buses were stuck, our trucks were bogged down in snow drifts," said Nespoli.
"My people have been working 12- to 14-hour shifts, cleaning up the city and trying to get everything nice and clear for tomorrow when schools are back," he said.
"We urge all members of the public, most especially City employees, to call us with any information about this matter or with any provable information about deliberate inaction or wrongdoing relating to the snow storm," said Department of Investigation (DOI) Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn in a statement.
Investigators responded to an article published by the New York Post on Sunday, which alleged that a group of on-duty sanitation supervisors bought beer and sat in their department car for hours Monday night. Citing an unnamed witness, the paper said the four supervisors in Brooklyn later told their bosses they ran out of gas.
The DOI commissioner said a video that reportedly had store surveillance evidence related to the allegation had been "over ridden."
"We are taking steps to try and reconstruct who was in the store," she said.
The New York City Department of Sanitation has drawn sharp criticism since last week's blizzard that blanketed much of the Northeast.
Rumors have swirled that officers ordered rank-and-file workers to slow down cleanup efforts in retaliation for the city's belt-tightening measures.
New York City Councilman Dan Halloran said three sanitation workers and two Department of Transportation supervisors came to his office saying their supervisors ordered the slowdown, telling workers, "the mayor will see how much he needs us" and "there will be plenty of overtime."
The head of New York's sanitation workers union, Harry Nespoli, said he was not aware of any slowdown and doubts there was a protest by workers.
Investigators have so far tracked down and spoken with at least two of the five workers who claimed they were told to slow down or not plow, according to Halloran.
"They (investigators) are leaving no stone unturned. They're going gangbusters on this and sparing no expense," he said.
Halloran also said he has seen city reports indicating that 400 sanitation workers called out sick and another 100 said they had the equivalent of an emergency two days after the storm hit last Sunday.
"That's about 10 percent of the work force of 5,600. It's unheard of," he said. Normally, Halloran said, two to four percent of workers call in sick.
Nespoli said the work force numbers around 5,800, adding that he did not know whether the other numbers Halloran provided are correct.
Nespoli does not represent the workers accused of buying beer during work hours. As supervisors, those workers belong to the Sanitation Officers Association Local 444, he said.
Officials from that union did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
"Before, everybody praised us. And now, all of a sudden everybody is mad. We had a lot of trouble out there. The snow was coming down three inches an hour. Buses were stuck, our trucks were bogged down in snow drifts," said Nespoli.
"My people have been working 12- to 14-hour shifts, cleaning up the city and trying to get everything nice and clear for tomorrow when schools are back," he said.
