NY/NJ Port Authority looks to replace Haynes security
Ethical problems compounded with severe security breaches to raise doubts about company’s competence; local congressman suggests the $89 million contract to provide guards at LaGuardia and JFK not be renewed when it expires in January
Bad news for one company often means good news for another. Consider the case of Newark, New Jersey-based Haynes Security, in hot water these days for committing a series of security lapses related to its security management of Kennedy and LaGuardia airports. First the company’s founder, John D’Agostino pleaded guilty to knowingly hiring convicted felons and failing to fingerprint personnel — the end result being he was forced to give up his ownership and pay a $250,000 fine. Then in March, a Haynes security perimeter was breached by a disoriented elderly man in a car who managed to drive onto the Kennedy airport tarmac.
The Newark-based company’s four-year, $89 million contract to provide 500 security guards at the two airports is set to expire in January, leading security officials and congressmen alike to suggest that it not be renewed. “With the heightened level of danger in these times and the need for professional sensitivity, it is more important than ever that the Port Authority select the right security contractor,” wrote Rep. Jerrold Nagler recently. The Port Authority is currently reviewing proposals from a number of different (and unnamed) companies, including Haynes, and a decision is expected soon.
-read more in Chuck Bennett’s AM New York report
