ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The city is moving to discipline a garbage truck worker accused of smoking pot on the job. An investigation found a trail of problems in his personnel file. The report says the city was tipped off by someone at an Albuquerque apartment complex, who said every time the garbage assistant would use the lobby restroom, it would smell like marijuana.
The Inspector-General’s investigation began in January. The report says the apartment manager was not the only one with this kind of experience, with the garbage assistant. The Inspector-General interviewed employees of a restaurant who had similar stories and co-workers who said the employee would often disappear for long periods of time and come back smelling like pot.
The report notes a long list of disciplinary problems including tardiness, being combative, and failing for seven months to self-report a DWI back in 2017, which all city employees are required to do within a day of being charged.
KRQE News 13 asked how the employee was able to keep his job, but the Solid Waste Department did not give an answer. The employee under investigation was not a driver of a Solid Waste truck, he was an assistant, but he was still required to have a city operator permit.
The city says the worker is now going through the disciplinary process. They also could not say if he is still making his routes or if he’s suspended in the meantime. A spokesman for the city said the discipline could be anything up to termination.
