A meeting of the Long Island Rail Road Commuter’s Council (LIRRCC) was convened at 4:30 pm on April 8, 2010, in the 5th Floor conference room, Jamaica Control Center.
The following members were present:
• Gerard P. Bringmann
• Ira Greenberg
• Sheila Carpenter
• Matthew Kessler
• Mark Epstein
• Maureen Michaels
• Larry Rubinstein
The following members were absent:
• Ronald Breuer
• Owen Costello
In addition, the following persons were present:
• William Henderson -PCAC Executive Director
• Janice Wells -PCAC Associate director
• Kathleen Finneran -MTA Police
• Joe Calderone -LIRR
• Hector Garcia -LIRR
• Jose Fernandez -LIRR
• Mark Sachs -Concerned citizen
• Allen Ropelis -Concerned citizen
• Edward Rogers -Concerned citizen
Approval of Agenda and Minutes
The agenda for the April 8, 2010 meeting was approved. The minutes of the January 14, 2010 meeting were approved as amended.
Chair’s Report
The Chair’s Report is attached to these minutes.
Ms. Michaels introduced Hector Garcia from the LIRR and indicated that Mr. Garcia may or may not be involved in the LIRR’s ADA Task Force.
Joe Calderone indicated that the Cold Spring Harbor driving directions on the website have been corrected.
Board Report
Mr. Greenberg reported that at the March meetings, the MTA Board approved the package of service cuts that had been the subject of the public hearings. He said he had asked that the Board members vote “no” on the cuts as a way to force Albany’s hand on the budget issues.
Mr. Greenberg indicated that he has repeatedly asked that the LIRR furnish more passenger related statistics in their monthly operating reports.
Introduction of Kathleen Finneran, MTA Police Department Assistant Chief – East Division
Chief Finneran gave a brief overview of the MTA Police Department, which was created in 1998. In June 2005, Staten Island Rapid Transit police merged with the MTA Police. She said the force is divided into three regions, one serving Staten Island, the Eastern region serving the LIRR, and the Northern region serving Metro-North Railroad.
She started working for the LIRR in 1981. She said the Eastern Division is divided into four districts: Suffolk, Nassau, Brooklyn/Queens and Manhattan. She said they cover all stations, grade crossings, train patrols, and foot patrols at Jamaica, New York Penn Station, and Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn.
She said they also have a special patrol unit, the K-9 Unit, Highway Patrol and East Side Access support unit.
In response to Gerry Bringmann’s question as to whether the force’s staffing has been increased, Chief Finneran said there have been increases in staffing since 1981.
Mr. Bringmann noted that he heard that there was only one patrol car covering the area between Port Jefferson and Syosset. Chief Finneran said that aside from the large area that this represents, they would have to have more than one car covering this territory as the districts are organized by counties and this area spans two counties. She said that the finances of the MTA Police are not divided by region, and as such they don’t have a budget for the Eastern region.
In response to Sheila Carpenter’s question as to the purpose of the police facility in Ronkonkoma, Chief Finneran indicated that this facility is used to house officers who are assigned to the T.R.A.C.K.S. program, which provides rail safety education in the schools. She said the phone outside the building goes directly to the MTA police communication unit and has nothing directly to do with this facility or the people who work there. Ms. Carpenter said that because the building has no signage, people think that patrol officers are working inside. Chief Finneran said that the MTA Police had publicized the closing of the patrol office at this location.
Chief Finneran said the police force works closely with other police forces. She said they attend CompStat meetings with Nassau and Suffolk police and special events involving these forces.
In response to Mark Epstein’s question as to the number that people should call if they have an emergency on the LIRR, Chief Finneran said if you call 911 the County will dispatch help. She noted that you can also call the MTA Police communications number that is posted throughout the system, but cautioned that it may not provide the most prompt response in emergencies.
In response to Ms. Carpenter’s question about the MTA Police policy when there is a fare dispute, Chief Finneran said they dispatch officers if a patrol unit is close to the scene but if there are no MTA Police officers nearby, they have County officers respond.
Maureen MIchaels noted that there is a widespread perception that the police are particularly heavy handed when it comes to fare disputes. Chief Finneran explained that if a crew member asks for police assistance, an officer will always be sent to the scene.
Chief Finneran said the MTA Police also trains on-board personnel on emergency preparation and security issues.
In response to Mr. Epstein’s question as to whether anyone on board watches out for suspicious bags, Chief Finneran said the conductors and ticket collectors watch for suspicious items in the course of their duties. She said that they regularly conduct “red letter” drills, in which on-board crews are handed different scenarios and asked to immediately explain what their responses to the scenarios would be.
In response to Larry Rubinstein’s question as to who receives proceeds from parking tickets and whether the MTA Police are enforcing the 12 hour limit on parking at some stations, Chief Finneran said they enforce the parking time limits based on the complaints they receive from commuters and the MTA does not receive the revenue generated.
Ms. Michaels indicated that commuters felt they were unfairly ambushed for inspections at the beginning of the month. She said there seemed to be an aggressive ticketing blitz to generate revenue and this really discriminates against commuters. She said that police do not conduct sweeps of cars in shopping areas, but the commuter lots seem to be fair game.
Sheila Carpenter said the 12 hour parking limit does not work for many commuters Chief Finneran said they do not have anything to do with determining the parking regulations. She said there are often issues with the people who park in the lots but who are not real commuters, such as people who leave cars in the lots for weekend use. They do not specifically assign officers to issue parking summonses, as this would not be a productive use of resources.
In response to Ira Greenberg’s question as to what are the responsibilities of the Highway Unit, Chief Finneran said their main activity is grade crossing enforcement.
In response to Mr. Bringmann’s question whether the MTA Police makes traffic stops, Chief Finneran said that MTA police have full police powers in New York State and in most of Connecticut. She said that MTA Police are not deployed for routine traffic enforcement, but police officers are required to take action if they observe an infraction.
Chief Finneran said that they have surveillance cameras in some stations and will install more cameras in the future.
Old Business
Bill Henderson announced that the Council would not be holding its annual President’s Forum as has been done in the past, but rather will host a public forum on station access issues on Long Island.
Sheila Carpenter said it is important that the hours of waiting rooms be listed so that commuters know when they are available for use. She said that the hours should be clearly posted on the station house.
In response to Ms. Michaels question about how the automatic locking mechanism works on station waiting rooms, Mr. Garcia said the locking of waiting rooms is done by an alarm company. He said platform waiting rooms are always open unless a request is made by the police or local officials to close them.
New Business
Mark Epstein suggested that Steve Bellone, the Babylon Town Supervisor, come to future meeting to talk about the Wyandanch revitalization project. The council agreed that he should be invited to make a presentation.
Mr. Epstein briefed the Council on the Long Island Regional Planning Commission Task Force meeting. He said that Helena Williams had spoken at the gathering.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Karyl Berger
Research Associate