State police investigating RIPTA case

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Rhode Island State Police are now investigating the systems security breach at RIPTA.

According to Friday's Providence Journal, Governor Lincoln Chafee ordered troopers to secure records from the agency Thursday night.

At a news conference Friday morning, Chafee announced that Col. Raymond Studley of the Rhode Island State Police has been assigned to oversee management issues and operations at RIPTA.

"We had various allegations recently that might involve criminal activity," said Governor Lincoln Chafee.

Earlier this week, three managers were fired after officials found security cameras were covered with clothing in a room where bus fares were counted.

Right now, there's no indication bus fare money was stolen.

On Wednesday, RIPTA Board Chairman Scott Avedisian announced that five more employees would lose their jobs, and another would be suspended, for their roles in the security breach.

• Related: Five more gone from RIPTA by week's end

"Suffice it to say that there were some ongoing issues with what we consider to be serious security problems at RIPTA, and there will be at least eight people who will be terminated and one suspended due to that," Avedisian said.

According to Avedisian, the supervisors who were fired were not directly involved in the security breach, but were overseeing the employees who were.

RIPTA currently has a projected deficit of $8 million.

There are 800 people employed at RIPTA.