Long Island Rail Road overtime off the rails, again

The latest employee overtime scandal engulfing the Long Island Rail Road still shocks, but it can no longer be surprising that fraud continues.

According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s inspector general, 36 LIRR employees — including seven supervisors — were involved in a sprawling effort to falsify time records and abuse the railroad’s system, allowing them to rack up overtime fraudulently. They created fake identification cards, no-shows shared their real ID cards with colleagues so they could sign them in, and others left worksites midshift while still being paid.

Time management abuses at the LIRR are egregious actions that hurt taxpayers and riders alike. Most LIRR workers do not abuse the system but those who do or look the other way reflect poorly on the entire operation.

MTA and LIRR officials promise appropriate punishments from clawbacks to termination, as they should, and they pledge to take further steps to shore up the system. But there’s more to do.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said his office couldn’t bring criminal charges, mostly due to the MTA’s poor record keeping, limited video evidence, and perhaps most significantly, the late date of seeking involvement by his office. It’s not known if the Queens and Manhattan district attorneys have ongoing investigations. Federal prosecutors might be able to make a wire or mail fraud case; they should also take a look.

But they may have the same difficulties. Tierney’s concerns underscore the need for the MTA to be more aggressive in preventing further overtime misuse and making sure that the fraud can be better detected and proved. The MTA and its inspector general should seek Tierney’s advice on next steps. Most importantly, officials must be quicker to spot bad behavior and involve prosecutors immediately. That would allow for surveillance and other evidence of misconduct. Tierney told the editorial board: “A proactive investigation is easier and more effective than a reactive investigation every single time.”

Technology, too, is key. Since this fraud happened, the MTA installed biometric time clocks; they came far too late. They’re helpful, but the authority must find ways to capture employee breaks and midshift departures. And while there are cameras in some spots, they should be at every entrance, exit and reader. One good step: The MTA finally will begin releasing overtime data to the public soon.

But no technological fix is enough. Stronger in-person oversight from the highest levels is necessary.

The LIRR’s systemic culture encourages such fraudulent activity, a culture that stems in part from how overtime is doled out. Overhauling obsolete, lucrative work rules is critical and must be addressed in the ongoing contract disputes. The unions also must accept technological, video and other advances now common in workplaces. Union leaders and workers who follow the rules have an opportunity to lead the way by condemning bad behavior and embracing change.

Overtime has gone off the rails at the MTA for decades. It’s time to finally get it back on track.