MTA Probe Into Violent EAGLE Fare-Enforcement Altercations Nearing Conclusion

NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said during the MTA's October 28 board meeting, in response to a question from board member Janette Sadik-Khan, that the agency's Special Investigations and Review unit expects to finish its probe into two violent EAGLE Team altercations "mid to late next week." The investigation is being conducted by a unit that reports directly to Crichlow and is examining the NYC Transit Safety and Security department, which oversees EAGLE Teams — unarmed civilian security officers whose full name is Evasion and Graffiti Lawlessness Eradication Teams. The two incidents under review include one earlier this month involving Brooklyn public school aide Kyle Taylor, and a separate August incident in the Bronx where agents threw a man to the ground and restrained him. The MTA suspended EAGLE Team operations last week pending the outcome of the probes. The City Council's Progressive Caucus has called for the teams to be permanently halted, though MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber has defended them as essential to fighting bus fare evasion. Agency leadership is also exploring whether body-worn cameras should be issued to fare agents, and reviewing hiring practices — including whether prior complaint histories from NYPD or Corrections careers can factor into background checks. Crichlow noted that EAGLE Team members currently undergo the same background checks as all other MTA employees. How much of the probe's findings will be made public remains unclear, though Crichlow said details — including planned follow-up measures — would be shared with Lieber and the board.