Six Department of Water and Power workers captured drinking while driving large vehicles and going into strip clubs have been reassigned to other duties, while an investigation continues.
DWP officials, saying the utiilty has a zero-tolerance policy for such behavior, said they are continuing their investigation into the report by KCBS (Channel 2) that showed the actions of the workers.
DWP spokesman Joe Ramallo said the department has transferred the workers who were identified in the story to other duties as the inquiry continues.
"We have suspended six employees from their normal duties pending the outcome of the investigation," Ramallo said. "They remain at work, but have been reassigned to other work duties."
DWP Board President Lee Kanon Alpert said the workers are entitled to due process, but he and others are concerned about the behavior.
"My concern is that this report took three months to pull together," Alpert said. "I would hope anyone who sees any behavior like this would
Interim General Manager Austin Beutner said he would make public as much information he can regarding any discipline of the workers.
"I would note in any organization of 10,000 folks, there are going to be some who don't follow the r ules," Beutner said. "Those who violated our policies will be dealt with accordingly.
However, he said, he was limited in what he can say about the situation because of regulations covering employees."
Councilman Dennis Zine, who chairs the City Council's Personnel Committee, said he will be following the inquiry.
"It's appropriate to have taken them out of their jobs and put them where they can't endanger the public," Zine said. "We do have to have due process, but if they did do this, these are so egregious, I think they should be fired. If we do have a zero-tolerance policy, we need to make sure we enforce it."
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