The head of an NYPD transit district in Queens was stripped of his command amid allegations that he had police reports forged to downplay subway crimes on his watch, sources tell The Post.
Capt. Steven Hyland, who headed Transit District 20 in Jamaica, allegedly had two sergeants and a lieutenant under his command falsify reports — even forging signatures — to play down robberies and grand larcenies in the subway system, the law enforcement sources said.
In one incident, Hyland allegedly ordered a cop to change a complaint marked “legit” to snuff it out.
“This dude was so bad, he victimized the victim,” one source said.
Now, the veteran cop has been reassigned to a lesser detail in the Brooklyn court system while department brass weigh possible disciplinary action against him.
“When the police commissioner learned this was an investigation she told all parties to take the matter incredibly serious,” another source said. “He was transferred immediately.”
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch took over New York’s Finest late last year with a promise to clean up the department — vowing to take on the so-called “old boys club” inside the department.
After less than one month on the job, she shuffled brass and eliminated perks.
Meanwhile, subway safety continues to be a major source of concern for Big Apple straphangers despite an overall drop in transit crime stats in recent months.
The NYPD confirmed that an audit of the district’s reports found that a “handful” were “intentionally misclassified.”
“The NYPD takes the proper classification of complaint reports with the utmost seriousness,” the department said. “Those complaint reports were immediately reviewed and correctly reclassified.”
Hyland could not immediately be reached for comment.
Read the full article here
