PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Crime on SEPTA is drawing the attention of state lawmakers. A shortage of SEPTA Transit Police officers, and a lack of consequences for those who commit crimes, took center stage at a Pennsylvania Senate hearing Monday afternoon at SEPTA headquarters.
It’s not that SEPTA hasn’t tried to hire more officers, SEPTA Transit Police Chief Thomas Nestel told the Senate Transportation Committee. He said that two months ago, 961 applicants were invited to take the department’s physical fitness test.
“78 people showed up out of that 961. Of the 78 that showed up, 24 passed, and 12 of those 24 passed the reading test,” said Nestel. He added that maybe, one of those finalists would ultimately be trained and hired.
SEPTA has the budget for 260 officers, but only 210 are on the job.
SEPTA General Manager Leslie Richards testified that talks were continuing with Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge No. 109 to raise pay to attract more applicants.
Omari Bervine, the lodge’s president, said there was a $10,000 to $15,000 pay gap between his members and other law enforcement officers who work for groups like Philadelphia Police and New Jersey Transit Police.
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Brian Pollitt, the head of Transport Workers Union Local 234, said more officers were needed to protect drivers from being assaulted.
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Between 2019 and 2021, robberies and assaults nearly doubled on SEPTA. Robberies increased during that time from 118 to 217, and aggravated assaults went up from 46 in 2019 to 86 last year.
In February, SEPTA approved replacing privately-hired security guards with ambassador “guides,” also staffed through contracted private companies. Pollitt testified that newly-hired unarmed outreach workers won’t deter criminals.
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“They need a guy with a gun and some bracelets, somebody who has the power to stop them from what they’re doing, and the ability to arrest them,” Pollitt said.
“It’s the only way to rectify the problems that we’re having. Because when they see that you guys don’t care, then they don’t care about us.”
Bervine pointed to the transit police officer shortage as a reason for the increased robberies and assaults.
“It’s not a coincidence that this spike in violent crime on SEPTA’s transit system has been happening simultaneously as the number of transit police officers has been rapidly decreasing,” Bervine said.
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Additionally, Nestel told the committee that people who are ticketed for smoking, public urination or disorderly conduct know that they can get away with it.
“We did a study of citations that the Transit Police has issued, and found that over 85% of the people failed to appear for court, and 100% failed to pay the fine,” said Nestel.
“There are no warrants issued for anybody who doesn’t appear for court and doesn’t pay the fine.”
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Nestel said city courts stopped issuing bench warrants for low-level summary offenses.
“The resulting effect is that people who engage in this activity know that there is no repercussion,” said Nestel.
Committee chair Wayne Langerholc, R-Bedford, Cambria and Clearfield counties, said he was collecting testimony with the goal of drafting legislation to help improve safety on SEPTA.
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