JUMPING THE GATE ON THE T
Not a job for plain clothes
THE MBTA police union apparently no longer understands the meaning of crime prevention. If these officers truly believe that ignoring fare evaders is acceptable, they should all get a refresher course in the resounding success New York saw in the 1990s when it cracked down on fare evaders and prompted a revolution in crime reduction nationwide. When you catch the criminals at the subway gate, they can't commit the serious crimes on the subway that the police profess to be so worried about.
The officers' only legitimate complaint is that they feel vulnerable wearing plain clothes while looking for fare evaders. Quite right. They should be in uniform.
MATT KELLY
Cambridge 