George Washington Bridge suicide sparks guard fears
- A recent Record investigation showcased the poor working conditions of private security guards at the GWB.
- The Port Authority is conducting a probe into working conditions for the security guards.
- The guards claim they have been retaliated against by their superiors for speaking out.
The dangers for private security guards patrolling the George Washington Bridge were underscored Thursday when the body of a 23-year-old man who jumped from the span landed close to a guard booth — an around-the-clock worry for workers tasked with helping to safeguard the world's busiest bridge.
One of the guards employed by Summit Security Services called on the bridge's owner, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, to take seriously worker safety at the bridge.
“They should do something to protect life, regardless of whether we are contractors or not,” said the guard, who did not wish to be identified for fear of being fired. “It’s the right thing to do.”
Another guard, who also did not wish to be named, said: "God forbid, what do you want to happen – for a guard to die?"
A Record investigation published last month highlighted myriad complaints from unarmed guards at the bridge that ranged from poor equipment to lack of bathroom facilities. As a result, the Port Authority is conducting a investigation of working conditions. Meanwhile, the guards claim they have been retaliated against by their superiors for speaking out.
Guards patrolling parks in the shadow of the span on both sides of the Hudson River told The Record that their greatest fear is being struck by objects falling from the bridge, including people who jump to their deaths.
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In particular, the guards cited an area close to the Little Red Lighthouse, a historic landmark under the bridge in Manhattan’s Fort Washington Park.
On Thursday evening, Port Authority police said they discovered the body of the 23-year-old man “next to” the lighthouse, which is about 200 feet west of a booth and a portable toilet that the guards use.
The suicide was the first such death this year. Last year, 12 people died after jumping off the bridge.
The Port Authority says it does not keep figures on how many people land in the water or in the parks, but some guards say it is a constant worry.
They said that when they complained about the danger a few years ago, Summit responded by handing out hard hats.
"The safety and well-being of our employees is of the utmost importance to Summit Security Services," said Ed Rutter, Summit's director of security in a statement issued late Friday night. "We pride ourselves in open communication between our employees and management. We have meet[sic] with our employees that are assigned to the George Washington Bridge to address their concerns."
In addition to falling objects, guards complained about faulty equipment, a lack of air conditioning in their booths, and a shortage of relief drivers to occupy their post while they take a bathroom break. Several guards said they had to relieve themselves in bottles.
Rutter said that Summit had addressed some of those concerns too. "We have reviewed our records and found that all requests for breaks were met in a timely fashion," he wrote, adding that all requests for relief are documented. "We have worked with the Port Authority to alter the foot patrol routes, as well as to ensure that the guard booth is out of range of falling objects."
Security experts have said that low morale among the guards was a risk at the bridge, which serves 100 million vehicles annually and is a potential terror target.
Last month, Port Authority Chairman John Degnan described the allegations as "concerning."
Degnan ordered top agency officials to compile a report on security and work conditions at the bridge. He is expected to discuss the report’s findings at the agency’s board meeting later this month.
The guards said that in the immediate aftermath of The Record investigation, Summit and Port Authority officials attempted to repair relations between them and their supervisors and to fix minor issues.
Port Authority and Summit officials attended staff roll calls, the guards said, where they told them to take problems to their supervisors. The officials made sure equipment was in working order, fixed heating in guard booths and cleaned security vehicles, the guards said.
But the guards said major issues remain.
“Right now, I haven’t seen no changes,” said one guard, who did not wish to be identified.
Four guards said that there is still a shortage of relief guards, limiting access to bathroom breaks. They added that in the wake of the article, Summit conducted a random drug test, the timing of which was seen by some guards as suspicious.
Rutter said those tests are routine among their workforce.
"It is the policy of Summit Security to conduct random drug testing of all employees," he wrote in his statement. "Security Officers at all Port Authority facilities are randomly drug tested throughout the year. These tests occurred before and after the publication of [The Record's] January article."
Several guards said that they felt as if they were being retaliated against.
They said that in bad weather, such as extreme cold or heavy rain, supervisors used to reduce the number of times the guards had to leave their booth to go on patrol. But in the past month, they said, the supervisors sent the guards outdoors in terrible weather conditions while reminding them about the article in The Record.