A security guard tasked with tackling fare evasion has been caught on video accepting cash from subway riders in exchange for student OMNY cards.
According to a report from MTA Inspector General Daniel Cote’s office, a guard at a Brooklyn subway station was using a Department of Education OMNY card that was not hers while interacting with passengers.
The report, released recently, didn’t name the guard who was removed from the Eighth Avenue Station last year after a report from a passenger raised concerns.
“Gate guards are meant to deter fare violations and ensure riders feel safe, not to illegally sell subway tickets and pocket cash,” Cote mentioned in his statement.
He expressed gratitude to the passenger who brought the issue to light and praised the swift action taken by the New York City Transit Authority that led to the guard’s removal.
This guard was employed by MTA contractor Allied Security Services, a company hired to prevent fare evasion rather than facilitate it.
This incident is just one in a series where Allied personnel have been found allowing free passage. Last May, witnesses observed officers at Herald Square station opening emergency doors for passengers to exit.
The guard involved in this incident was hired on June 3, 2024, and assigned to the Eighth Avenue Station. She informed investigators that she lacked training and relevant experience for her position.
Following a tip in July, investigators reviewed surveillance footage that showed her breaching the security barrier and interacting with passengers at least five times, specifically between July 14 and July 18.
In three of these interactions, she seemed to return cash to customers who hadn’t paid, according to the report.
Initially, she claimed she had a personal OMNY card, but, when confronted with evidence showing it was a student card, she stated she found it on the street.
The report noted, “The guard took cash from customers for her own gain, effectively stealing from the New York City Department of Transportation.”
Her behavior violated the Alliance Security Code of Ethics and could be classified as petty theft, although the Inspector General’s office determined the amount was too small for criminal referral.
An MTA spokesperson stated, “This security guard will never work on MTA property again. Her actions were exactly opposite to what her role was designed to prevent.”
Allied Security has chosen not to comment on the situation.
Since April 2020, cash payments for fares have not been accepted by the MTA due to the pandemic. Currently, riders can only access the subway with an OMNY card, a bank card, or through other cashless means.
This shift means that riders cannot use the subway system without some form of OMNY card, as traditional Metrocards are gradually being phased out.
Overall, the MTA has incurred an estimated loss of $900 million due to fare evasion across both buses and trains.
