The Toronto Transit Commission is in damage control mode again after eight employees were fired for not doing their jobs.

TTC Chair Karen Stintz says the eight enforcement officers were falsifying tickets to cover up the fact they weren’t actually on the job.

Five are facing criminal charges following a four-month investigation.

The news comes at a time when the TTC is trying to convince Toronto police to restore “special constable” to TTC enforcement officers. Stinz says that’s why they took the steps they did.

Toronto police spokesman Tony Vella wouldn’t comment on whether the investigation will have an impact on the TTC’s request for special constable status. But he says falsifying provincial tickets is a serious offense, and the officers could be facing jail time if they’re convicted.

The fired employees make up a fifth of the TTC’s enforcement department.