Tech firm may bid on NYC school bus camera program after hiring top aide to Deputy Mayor Phil Banks

A safety-tech steadfast that hired the right-hand antheral of a apical Mayor Adams adjutant whitethorn present beryllium seeking to expand what was a small, trial-run of schoolhouse autobus cameras into a citywide program, the Daily News has learned.

Justin Meyers, erstwhile main of unit to Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks, departed his bureau past September to go president of BusPatrol, whose automated enforcement exertion aims to deter drivers from illegally passing stopped schoolhouse buses. Their systems are being tested connected a mates twelve section schoolhouse buses.

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Students locomotion to committee a schoolhouse autobus successful Manhattan’s East Village. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

A twelvemonth aft Meyers’ exit, BusPatrol is expected to beryllium 1 of the bidders aft the New York City Department of Transportation enactment retired a petition for proposals to grow the high-tech camera systems — from 30 to 250 schoolhouse buses.

A proviso of the metropolis charter blocks ex-officials from appearing earlier their erstwhile metropolis agency for 1 year. The News has recovered nary grounds that the erstwhile Banks adjutant is successful usurpation of that revolving-door provision, and determination is nary instrumentality prohibiting erstwhile authorities officials including Meyers to enactment for backstage firms specified arsenic BusPatrol.

But the revelation comes amid a national probe into influence-peddling among cardinal members of the Adams administration. Banks’ devices were seized and location raided arsenic portion of the probe.

“Justin Meyers did not lobby the City of New York for oregon enactment successful discussions with the City astir the NYCSBUS pilot’s instauration oregon the drafting of the RFP,” said Kate Spree, a BusPatrol spokesperson. “BusPatrol has nary declaration oregon statement with the City of New York. BusPatrol complies with each laws and regulations, including those relating to lobbying and the hiring of erstwhile authorities employees.”

“Any different questions related to the aviator oregon RFP should beryllium referred to NYC DOT,” she added.

While moving for the city, Meyers was a cardinal adjutant to Banks and would measurement successful for Friday day nationalist information property conferences. Banks did not instrumentality requests for comment, and neither did spokespeople for the mayor.

Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Daily News

Philip Banks III, Deputy Mayor of New York City for Public Safety. (Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Daily News)

BusPatrol’s camera systems are installed aboard buses tally by NYC School Bus Umbrella Services Inc., oregon NYCSBUS, a city-run non-profit that operates astir 950 schoolhouse buses. NYCSBUS is 1 of 52 backstage autobus operators the Department of Education contracts with to transport metropolis students.

The petition for proposals connected the camera systems is owed Oct. 11, and schoolhouse proscription officials astatine a City Council proceeding Monday told Education Committee Chair Rita Joseph (D-Brooklyn) they expect to grant the declaration successful the archetypal 4th of adjacent year.

“Currently, we don’t person a declaration for stop-arm cameras, but I volition accidental that determination is simply a aviator ongoing astatine this moment, that we’re exploring the possibilities,” said Glenn Risbrook, elder enforcement manager of pupil transportation. Officials testified the determination to grow the aviator came from City Hall.

The different camera vendor successful the smaller, 30-bus aviator was Verra Mobility, whose contracting practices for postulation cameras person travel nether scrutiny. In 2021, Verra reached a $1-million colony with the metropolis for allegations of over-billing. The institution did not admit wrongdoing.

Banks’ calendars amusement helium had astatine slightest 2 meetings with BusPatrol successful 2022, and a 3rd scheduled arsenic “School Bus Patrol Safety.” His member David Banks, the outgoing schools chancellor, was expected to be astatine slightest 1 of the meetings.

Shortly aft Adams took office, BusPatrol hired Moonshot Strategies, a salient consulting firm, to commencement lobbying the mayor’s medication about “camera exertion for schoolhouse autobus halt arms,” metropolis records show. The institution spent $112,500 connected Moonshot’s lobbying services, whose targets included Phil and David Banks’ agencies.

BusPatrol ended its declaration with the steadfast successful mid-2022, six months earlier than it was scheduled to lapse, according to records. Moonshot CEO Jason Ortiz declined to remark connected what prompted the cancellation.

A twelvemonth later, BusPatrol hired Meyers arsenic its president and main innovation officer.

BusPatrol has sparked interest in Suffolk County for the lineup of erstwhile region officials presently moving for the firm, including Meyers, a erstwhile archetypal adjunct territory lawyer successful the county. Suffolk tapped BusPatrol to proviso its camera systems to the county’s schools.

Meyers brought successful his brag — erstwhile Suffolk Police Commissioner and District Attorney Tim Sini, who helium besides served arsenic main of unit to — arsenic extracurricular counsel for BusPatrol. Sini present represents a 3rd Banks brother, authorities relations advisor Terence, successful the national probe sources accidental is related to his concern earlier his siblings’ metropolis agencies. Like his brothers, Terence Banks had his devices seized and location raided by the feds successful caller weeks.

Separately, Adams pled not blameworthy Friday to national bribery and run concern charges. On Monday, his lawyers moved to dismiss allegations that Adams accepted luxury question and amerciable run contributions from Turkish nationals, successful speech for governmental favors.