NEW YORK CITY: MTA Cops Rode High on Overtime After Cuomo Crackdown on Subway Homelessness

THE CITY: A report, accuses the MTA of failing to properly monitor both regular and overtime costs that came with efforts to police fare evasion and homelessness in the subway between 2018 and 2020.

“Transparency is the cornerstone of public trust,” said Inspector General Carolyn Pokorny. “When future special projects arise, the MTA Police Department can help themselves and MTA stakeholders by accurately tracking and reporting project costs.”

Before 2019, the NYPD had exclusive authority for enforcement of rules in the subway system. That changed in December of that year, when then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced plans to hire 500 MTA officers to help patrol the subway.

Transit officials did not fully establish budgets for the expanded policing roles that added up to 31% of the $60.8 million in overtime expenses for the agency’s own police force in 2019 and 2020.

https://www.thecity.nyc/2021/12/8/22823370/mta-police-overtime-cuomo-su…