Ch. 2 cameras catch DeKalb worker goofing off while on the clock

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A four-month-long Channel 2 Action News investigation has documented the astonishing work habits of a DeKalb County supervisor who routinely drove his county truck home during the workday, sometimes for hours at a time.
 
Investigative reporter Richard Belcher says Channel 2's cameras captured David Smith bringing home groceries and mowing his lawn while he was clocked in as a supervisor in DeKalb County's roads and drainage department.
 
Smith's job earned him $52,884 a year as the general foreman of the department. Last January, Smith's boss said his work exceeded standards, adding, "David always takes responsibility for all crew whereabouts and performance."
 
But the reality was, while his crew was out in the field, rain or shine, Smith was coming home in his county truck.
 
Channel 2 began watching Smith's Lithonia home as a result of a whistle-blower's tip in June. Earlier this month, Belcher introduced himself.
 
"You come home a lot during the workday and spend hours at a time, why is that?" Belcher asked.
 
"Uh, I don't know what you're talking about," Smith responded. 
 
Channel 2's cameras found Smith at his house in his county truck during the work day on 24 separate occasions.
 
On Aug. 5, he arrived shortly after 1 p.m. and spent nearly 2 and a half hours at the house.
 
Aug. 11, Smith came home on three occasions for a total of nearly two hours. The next day, two trips home before lunchtime totaling an hour and 50 minutes. Two days after that – two more trips home – one for nearly five hours.
 
On Sept. 25, Smith's county truck was in the driveway when he drove up in one of his personal cars. He pulled his work truck into the garage, shut the door and drove off in another personal car – spending nearly three hours away from his job.
 
On one visit, Smith had enough time to mow his lawn. Another day, he unloaded bags of what appeared to be groceries. That day, he was home more than two hours.
 
Channel 2 also spotted Smith washing the interior of his minivan with his work truck parked curbside.
 
Smith's response, "I just come home on my lunch break. Bye."
 
It didn't take DeKalb County officials long to act on Belcher's findings.
 
"We confronted the employee, and the employee submitted his resignation effective immediately," DeKalb County spokesman Burke Brennan said.
 
Brennan said Smith was promoted because of he previously good work record. He was a general foreman; a job with a lot of freedom to drive around checking on several crews a day, but it was Smith who needed supervision.
 
"Certainly, nobody was checking the one who was doing the checking," Brennan said.
 
Brennan said he hopes the county's quick response in this case will send a message to others tempted to cheat the taxpayers, and he hopes employees will report those who are cheating.

WSBTV