By Richard Weir
The Boston Herald
BOSTON — A 29-year veteran transit cop is facing disciplinary action for dozing on the job while posted at a substation serving the Mattapan high-speed line and Blue Hill Avenue buses, according to MBTA police officials.
Transit police staff discovered a picture of the sleeping officer that a passenger posted to Twitter on Tuesday night about 9:40 p.m. and immediately dispatched a supervisor to the River Street station in Mattapan, said Transit Police Deputy Chief Joseph O’Connor.
‘When the supervisor got there minutes later, he found the officer alert and attending to his duties,’ O’Connor said, adding that the officer did not deny catching some Z’s while on duty.
‘He took responsibility for his actions. The officer did not try to make any excuses for his actions. He admitted that he fell asleep at his desk.’
The officer, who is regularly posted to the Mattapan station, where he is assigned to staff the front desk and patrol the station during his 3 to 11:30 p.m. shift, will face disciplinary actions that could range from suspension to termination, O’Connor said.
O’Connor, who declined to verify the name of the napping officer, said the supervisor did not know how long the officer had been asleep but did not believe it was for a long period of time.
Copyright 2012 Boston Herald Inc.