NYU Prof Ticketed For Fare Evasion At Station With Broken Machine

WEST VILLAGE — A lawyer for a New York University professor who researches and teaches forensic justice say the professor was targeted by fare evasion "strike team" for jumping the turnstiles at a subway stop with broken MetroCard machines.

The Legal Aid Society sent a letter on Feb. 20 to Commissioner Margaret Garnett and Inspector General Phil Eure of the police department's Inspector General's office to investigate professor Terrance Coffie's fare evasion summons and increased enforcement through the "fare-evasion strike teams."

Legal Aid detailed its concerns that Coffie's experience highlights the group's fears that "strike teams" will target poor communities of color.

The Daily News first reported the letter.

Coffie was heading to work at the 125th St. A, C, B, and D station in Harlem in mid-January at about 8:30 a.m., the letter says.

Coffie realized he needed to refill his MetroCard but discovered all three machines at the station were only accepting coins.

"I don't walk around with three dollars worth of coins in the morning," Coffie told the Daily News.

He was heading to a meeting in Brooklyn and walked through the turnstile gate, according to the letter. When he walked down to the platform, four plain clothes officers surrounded him and issued a $100 summons.

Coffie said the machines weren't taking cash or card, and one officer said the MTA was aware of the issue, Legal Aid's letter said.

He attempted to record the scene with his phone because he felt the situation had been "unfair policing," but as he pulled his phone out, an officer told him to take his hands out of his pockets and he would arrest him, according to the letter. The encounter made Coffie fear the interaction could have resulted in his name being "added to the list of victims of police violence," Legal Aid attorney Cynthia Conti-Cook wrote.

NYPD called the claims bunk.

"The NYPD has implemented a new fare evasion policy, moving from arrest to summonses, and continues to work closely with the MTA to increase awareness with signage giving people very direct warnings that fare evasion is illegal," said NYPD spokeswoman Sergeant Jessica McRorie.

She added riders can fill out this form for summonses they've received where fare machines are broken.

An MTA spokesperson noted that repair teams and station personnel are sent to stations when there are issues.

"Fare evasion is a systemwide problem across all parts of the city, as are our efforts to reduce it," the MTA said in a statement regarding Coffie's incident and Legal Aid's letter. "Whether it's keeping MetroCard machines and exit gates in good working order, having station staff available to help customers, or working with law enforcement to find preventative measures that avoid the need for criminal prosecutions, we're committed to a fair response to a citywide problem and are categorically opposed to any inappropriate targeting."