On the program for the April, 2010 LIRRCC meeting was a long awaited visit from Chief Kathleen Finneran who was accompanied by Jose Fernandez, VP of Security. Chief Finneran gave an overview of the MTA Police force whose job is to provide security for the commuter railroads. They also have responsibility for those locations in Manhattan that the railroads use, i.e., Penn Station, Atlantic Terminal, Grand Central Terminal.
Finneran indicated that her force works with all local police departments as well as Port Authority personnel and they train together for response to emergencies and terriorist activities. Per the Council’s request, she provided police activity statistics for 2009.
Council members posed questions relating to parking lot ticketing proceedures, responses to calls for assistance from on-board crew members, the purpose of highway units (to police grade crossings) and the use of the old offices at Ronkonkoma. Mr. Fernandez noted that all LIRR personnel now receive security instruction as part of their routine training courses.