An investigation into how a homeless person was placed into a San Diego trash truck in December has resulted in new rules for cleanup workers and increased training.

Unspecified punishments were handed down, including the termination last week of a deputy director.

The city still cannot say whether the victim was a man or a woman.

San Diego officials have completed an investigation into the near-death of a homeless person who was scooped into a city garbage truck by mistake last December and issued new rules to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

In a two-page memo dated Monday, Environmental Services Director Mario Sierra said a supervisor or designee will now be required on scene at every abatement.

Also, code-compliance personnel will photograph all transient camps and waste to be collected before, during and after the cleanups and “appropriate tools will be provided” to crews to assist in removing bulky contents from structures before they are placed into trash trucks.


“The city’s abatement process related to homeless encampments must be strengthened and we are taking action to do just that,” Paz Gomez, a deputy chief operating officer and Sierra’s immediate supervisor, said in a statement.

“Public safety is the city’s top priority and is shared by every individual involved with waste abatements,” the statement said. “The operational enhancements which are being implemented immediately will provide greater oversight and accountability throughout the program.”

City officials have been sweeping the streets of downtown San Diego clean for months in response to a housing crisis that has seen a surge in the number of homeless people across the region.

The practice, which has been criticized by homeless advocates, calls for city work crews to clear block after block of tents, bedding and other material that homeless people use to protect against the elements.


During a Commercial Street cleanup three days before Christmas, city work crews scooped a tent filled with belongings into the back of a garbage truck without realizing that a person was inside.

The victim — city officials still cannot say if it was a man or a woman — began screaming and waving arms to get the workers’ attention moments before the hydraulic compactor was activated.

The person was able to climb out of the truck and walked away from the truck before city officials could identify the person or offer any services.

No one at City Hall acknowledged the blunder until late January, when The San Diego Union-Tribune confronted city officials about the incident.


Mayor Kevin Faulconer issued a statement Monday saying the new rules were necessary.

“This terrible accident never should have happened,” the statement said. “That is why we are making important changes to ensure crews always operate with the highest levels of care. I know San Diegans will not accept anything less, and neither will I.”

In addition to an on-scene supervisor and photographs of future abatements, Sierra said he will step up training for his staff and contractors.

“The number of trainings will increase from biannually to quarterly, and will now include applicable San Diego Police Department staff,” the memo said. Also, “SDPD will activate body-worn cameras during active waste-abatement activities.”


During previous cleanups, San Diego police officers inspected areas to be cleared before the code-enforcement teams were approved to carry out the hauling.

San Diego police officials have declined to respond to questions about why Commercial Street was approved for clearance by officers on the street before the code-enforcement crews began clearing the tent that contained the homeless person.

The changes announced Monday also included unspecified punishment handed down to unnamed employees involved in the trash-truck incident.

“In addition to these modifications, appropriate disciplinary action has been taken,” spokeswoman Katie Keach said in a statement.


The Environmental Services Department will present a status report on its abatement policies to the city’s Homelessness Committee in April. Sierra said the new procedures were implemented Friday and will continue until they are fully incorporated into department practices.

In the meantime, the Union-Tribune reported Monday that Angela Colton, a 17-year city employee and deputy director of Environmental Services, was escorted from City Hall on Friday and terminated.


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jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald