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State audit of NFTA Police reveals double dipping

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By Michael Mroziak

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wbfo/local-wbfo-926098.mp3

Buffalo, NY – Nearly a dozen NFTA Police officers were supplementing their incomes by working side jobs while they were still on duty.

The State Comptroller's office details this so-called "double dipping" in a newly released audit report.

The report identifies eleven NFTA police officers who, from 2006 and 2008, were working side jobs while still on the clock with the NFTA. Ironically, one of the officers identified as a double dipper was working at the time as the NFTA Police Department's Internal Affairs Officer.

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said high-ranking officers were not only allowing this to happen but were even doing it themselves.

DiNapoli says a majority of the officers identified were among the NFTA Police Department's highest overtime earners. Even more disturbing, he said, is that the odd jobs include service with other public institutions, including the Buffalo School District.

For example, it was found in each year of this audit that on-duty officers were instead working security at the Harvard Cup Thanksgiving Day football games. In 2007, three of these officers worked a McKinley High School basketball tournament when they were supposed to be on patrol.

One of the eleven officers has since retired. An aide to Mr. DiNapoli says his office did approach the NFTA police officers to interview them, but their respective attorneys have advised their clients not to comment at this time.