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“Why do we have people helping people avoid tolls?” Mattera demanded. “We have videos.”
The exchange quickly escalated, with Lieber trying to interrupt.
“Let me finish. Let me finish,” Lieber snapped.
“You’re rambling,” Mattera shot back. “Why do we have this?”
The shouting match continued until Committee Chairman J. Gary Pretlow finally intervened.
“Shut up,” Pretlow barked, restoring a semblance of order. Mattera eventually received an apology before pressing on.
Guards Without Authority, Taxpayers Foot the Bill
Allied Universal pulls in roughly $5 million from New York taxpayers each month. Some guards reportedly earn $25 an hour, with a few making up to $100 per hour. Yet these employees have zero law enforcement authority. They cannot make arrests, issue summonses, or carry weapons.
One guard told the Post what happens when fare jumpers appear: “They say, ‘You’re not a cop, you can’t stop it.’”
Their official duty is limited to “direct customers to turnstiles” and notify police if incidents occur. Guards have been explicitly instructed to avoid confrontations with fare evaders.
The MTA claims that fare evasion dropped 20 to 30 percent at the first 50 stations where guards were deployed in 2022. But when pressed about how many reports these 1,000 guards filed over the past three years, the agency went silent.
State Senator Steve Chan, a former police officer, criticized the approach: “Instead of paying outrageous salaries to people who stand around like scarecrows and do absolutely nothing to stop fare evasion, the MTA and the city must take the handcuffs off our police officers.”
Chan insists real officers, not contract guards, should issue summonses and make arrests. “We’ve done it before and it works,” he added.
Republicans Demand Accountability for Out-of-State Contract
The Pennsylvania contract has drawn bipartisan scrutiny. Republican senators sent a letter to Governor Hochul demanding answers about how and why the deal was approved. Critics note the MTA bypassed New York’s own unionized transit workers, instead sending $35 million to an out-of-state firm.
Reports of guard misconduct abound. Some employees have been caught sleeping on the job, loitering in diners, or actively enabling fare evasion by holding doors open for non-paying riders.
“Over 1,000 Allied guards – some making $100 an hour – have been caught sleeping, loitering, or even assisting fare evasion,” State Senator Steve Rhoads said.
Senator Bill Weber demanded a deeper investigation. “It’s clear the MTA needs a full audit, and, now, so do its subcontractors.”
Fare Hikes for Law-Abiding Riders, Ineffectual Guards for Criminals
Fare evasion reached 13.6 percent in early 2024, the highest in five years. Nearly half of the city’s 2 million daily bus riders don’t pay, yet honest commuters face rising fares. Lieber defended the contract, claiming all gate guards live in New York despite the company being headquartered in Pennsylvania.
“It’s not a bunch of Pennsylvanians,” he insisted. His explanation satisfied no one.
Republicans want transparency on why $35 million left New York for guards who fail to stop criminals. The situation highlights a glaring failure: Hochul’s administration collects higher fares from law-abiding riders while funneling millions out of state for security that doesn’t work.
As Chan warned years ago, the solution is simple: “Let actual police officers issue summonses and make arrests.” But that would require Democrats to admit they have tied law enforcement’s hands – something they are clearly unwilling to do.
