NJ TRANSIT, NJTPD STEP UP TICKET FRAUD CRACKDOWN
Arrests, investigations and new tactics highlight efforts to further protect customers, taxpayers
July 16, 2012
NJT-12-059
NEWARK, NJ —Announcing that more than 200 arrests have been made in the past two years related to counterfeit activity, NJ TRANSIT and NJ TRANSIT Police Department (NJTPD) officials today unveiled a series of new measures being undertaken to avert the usage of counterfeit tickets aboard NJ TRANSIT trains, buses and light rail vehicles.
“The new procedures being implemented today will protect the interests of our law-abiding customers – and protect the interests of hard-working New Jersey taxpayers,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein. “Whether you are a customer hailing a bus in Newark, boarding a light rail vehicle in Camden or taking one of our trains from Trenton to New York - you have been personally impacted by these criminal acts.”
Internal NJTPD research has shown that the production and distribution of counterfeit tickets has continued to climb, particularly on the rail division. NJTPD officials have made more than 200 arrests for counterfeit tickets since June of 2010, and continue to actively investigate the manufacture, sale and usage of fraudulent monthly tickets.
“These are not victimless crimes,” said NJ TRANSIT Police Chief Christopher Trucillo. “These criminal acts financially penalize the hundreds of thousands of NJ TRANSIT customers who lawfully utilize our system every weekday. Let me be crystal clear. If you are using a counterfeit ticket, we will catch you, we will arrest you, and we will prosecute you.”
To further protect taxpayers and customers, NJ TRANSIT today introduced a new, highly-visible procedure to ensure the integrity of weekly and monthly rail tickets. As part of this approach, this morning NJ TRANSIT train crews began using UV scanners to inspect weekly and monthly passes, which now contain an anti-counterfeit measure that can only be detected with these special UV scanners.
The UV scanners, which are also being utilized by Light Rail fare collection officers and both uniformed and plain clothed officers aboard NJ TRANSIT buses, are capable of scanning weekly and monthly passes displayed in customers’ plastic ticketholders. Customers will not be required to remove their passes from their ticketholders unless the scanner is unable to detect the anti-counterfeit measure, at which time the train crew member will request that the ticket be removed for further inspection.
Today’s announcement continues NJ TRANSIT’s efforts to crack down on fare beaters and those who would defraud customers and taxpayers alike. On March 1 of this year, NJ TRANSIT Police and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office announced the arrest of a NJ TRANSIT conductor and accomplice for defrauding NJ TRANSIT of thousands of dollars, following the results of a seven-month investigation. Further valuable information attained through this successful collaboration continues to be utilized as part of this ongoing law enforcement effort.
About NJ TRANSIT
NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 895,000 weekday trips on 260 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the second largest transit system in the country with 164 rail stations, 60 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.