City official disciplined over mistake, the latest example of a deadly hazard faced by those living on the streets

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A senior official in San Diego has been disciplined after homeless cleanup crews swept up a tent with a person still inside and almost compacted them in a garbage truck.

Only after shrieks and screams emerged from the vehicle did workers realize the gravity of their mistake.

The incident was uncovered by the San Diego Union-Tribune, which reported that the deputy director of the waste management department, Angela Colton, had been “terminated”. A city official confirmed to the Guardian that Colton had been “relieved of her duties”.

A Guardian investigation found numerous examples of homeless people being compacted inside trash-collection trucks, often leading to their deaths.

In a memo released this week in response to the incident, San Diego has ordered supervisors to be present at cleanups to “ensure accountability”, and said tents, shopping carts and tarps must be photographed after they have been emptied to “ensure no individuals are present”.

Police officers who are on hand must also activate their body cameras.

These regularly scheduled sweeps are one element of San Diego’s response to an overwhelming homelessness crisis.

San Diego has resorted to spraying sidewalks with bleach and instituted a mass-vaccination program after a hepatitis A outbreak linked to poor sanitary conditions killed 20 people and infected 578, many of them homeless.

Three massive tents have also been erected as emergency shelters, because permanent housing is in critically short supply. The largest tent, located downtown, currently holds 325 people and 100 dogs.

Bob McElroy, head of the Alpha Project, which runs operations at the tent, said he was astonished by the cleanup incident.

Death in an Amazon dumpster Read more

“My understanding is that the guy was wrapped up in sleeping bags and clothing,” he said. He has been trying to find the victim and offer housing.

“It must have scared the hell out of him,” McElroy said. “It makes me sick to my stomach – if you can imagine being crushed in the back of a trash compactor.”

Do you have an experience of homelessness to share with the Guardian? Get in touch



Sign up to Chronicling Homelessness, our monthly Outside in America newsletter