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TLC boss forced out amid cab-seizing scandal

A Taxi & Limousine Commission boss was forced out amid a scandal where management bullied officers to make bogus seizures of cars, The Post has learned.

Assistant Commissioner Jeffery Hunt, the second highest-ranking official in the agency’s enforcement division, has given the agency notice that he’s leaving after TLC sources say he was forced out by Commissioner Meera Joshi.

On Tuesday, he cleaned out his office at the agency’s Woodside base, sources said.

“He used quotas as a tool to punish officers with the threat of shift tour changes, promotions and firing probationary employees,” said Randy Klein, assistant director of Teamsters Local 237.

Before Hunt began his reign at the TLC in 2012 bullying captains and lieutenants, he retired from the NYPD as a sergeant who worked at a TLC court in Long Island City.

He supervised cops who came in to testify about TLC summonses.

Under him, the agency hit record after record each month for illegal cab seizures.

More than 9,600 cars were seized in 2013– almost 70 percent more than the year before.

In April last year, Hunt and Deputy Commissioner Ray Scanlon were even honored at a TLC meeting for taking so many cars off the road.

But sources say many of the seizures by officers were just made to meet numbers, not because they were legitimate.

“Hunt said if captains and lieutenants don’t produce seizures, that if he couldn’t fire them he would make them so miserable they would want to quit,” said a TLC source.

The assistant commissioner is leaving while TLC Commissioner Meera Joshi has been cleaning house, launching an internal review of enforcement and ordering refresher training on seizures after taking over the agency.

Derek Jackson, an assistant director at Teamsters Local 237, said he was excited that Comissioner Joshi is taking steps to alleviate fear, unprofessional behavior, and intimidation towards inspectors at the agency.

“We hope she looks at other chiefs in the department as well,” he said.

A TLC spokesman said the agency doesn’t comment on personnel matters, but said that Hunt is still an employee at the agency.