Jun
24
MTA Board to approve fare-jumping fine increase
ByFollowing up on an item from May, the New York Post reports that the MTA Board will approve an increase in fare-evasion fines from $60 to $100 this week. The MTA says it collected $7.2 million in such fines last year. Under the new pricing schemes, that would result in an additional $4.8 million in revenue. The MTA hasn’t raised the fines in two decades, and at a time when money is tight across the board, every little bit helps.
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I’ve always wondered about this: How many tickets (for how much money) does an officer need to write to make a profit for the department? I realize profit isn’t the function of the police, but I’m wondering if they can justify paying the extra overtime/salaries by using the amount of money it would bring in having extra cops in the subway?
For example: During rush hour, I’ve witnessed dozens of people push though the emergency exit gate. If even half of those people were ticketed, it seems like they’d pull in quite a bit of money. Plus, there’s the added benefit of having extra cops nearby in case anything bad happens. Any thoughts?