"An unarmed subway station gate guard hired by an MTA contractor to thwart fare evasion was caught on camera multiple times accepting cash from riders in exchange for letting them into the system, the MTA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found in a probe. The OIG investigation found that the female gate guard, employed by Allied Universal, admitted to providing OMNY card swipes to straphangers and taking cash in return on five occasions captured on video actions it said were improper and illegal."
"The report was sparked by a rider's complaint. The guard was using a Department of Education (DOE) OMNY card that she found on the street, which are paid for by the city, she told investigators after initially claiming it was her own card. She pocketed the cash without telling Allied Universal or NYC Transit, the report said."
"The gate guards are paid to deter farebeating and provide a sense of security to the riding public, not to improperly sell subway system entry and pocket the cash, MTA Inspector General Dan Cort said in a statement. I am grateful to the rider who reported this misconduct and appreciate NYC Transit's thorough response, which led to the guard's removal from working in the subway system."
"Upon OIG informing the MTA of the misconduct, the agency moved to prohibit the guard from working on its property, and the contractor is reviewing its policies and procedures. This guard will never work on MTA property again, MTA Chief Security Officer Michael Kemper said in a statement. Taking cash to illegally swipe riders into the subway is the exact conduct this person was assigned to prevent, he added."
An MTA contractor employed an unarmed subway station gate guard to deter fare evasion and provide rider security. The MTA Office of the Inspector General found the guard repeatedly accepted cash from riders in exchange for allowing entry, and admitted to providing OMNY card swipes for five video-recorded incidents. The guard used a Department of Education OMNY card she said she found on the street, which is paid for by the city. She initially claimed the card was her own, then pocketed cash without notifying Allied Universal or NYC Transit. The incidents occurred at the main entrance of the 8th Av N-line station between July 14 and 18 during a 2 to 10 p.m. shift. The OIG said the conduct was improper, likely illegal, and could violate petit larceny laws, prompting removal from MTA property and contractor policy review.
Read at www.amny.com
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