EMB-175 Captain reported landing gear pins were found to be still installed; with a corresponding log book entry stating that they had been removed and stowed in the cockpit. The Captain called for maintenance to remove and stow the landing gear pins as required and made an additional log book entry to account for the additional maintenance actions.

Narrative

When the flight crew arrived at the aircraft; it had been towed from the maintenance hangar sometime in the middle of the night before our departure. During preflight; the Captain noticed the Gear Pins were missing from the cockpit and the FO reported after his preflight walk around that they were still installed in the Landing Gear. The AML (Aircraft Maintenance Logbook) showed that the Gear Pins had been removed and stowed the night prior by employee NUMBER. The Captain contacted OPS on the radio ad well as Maintenance Control by telephone; and entered the discrepancy in the AML . The local ZZZ OPS sent a newly hired ramper who immediately removed the three gear pins; and rushed them to the cockpit. The ramp agent did not know where they belonged in the cockpit or how to store them. He was also not trained or authorized to make any entries in the AML. The CA discussed the issue with the ramp agent; an operations agent; and the Maintenance Representative who later arrived at the airplane. All three stated that there is an ongoing issue at ZZZ where ramp teams tow aircraft from the maintenance hangar to the gates in the morning with zero representation from the maintenance team.These ramp tow teams have been performing unauthorized maintenance on the aircraft by installing and removing gear pins without properly logging such activities in the AML. The Ramp agent and Maintenance agent expressed that this was at least the third instance of an aircraft being released to a flight crew with installed Gear Pins (and no AML logging) in the last week. Maintenance verified the Gear Pins were properly removed and stowed; and then signed off the AML while the FO performed a new preflight walk-around inspection. Ramp Agents are performing unscheduled and undocumented Gear Pin installations on aircraft. This greatly and significantly increases the chances of an aircraft launching with the Gear Pins installed. The 'Swiss cheese holes' are lining up! Immediately stop the ZZZ ramp crews from towing aircraft without properly documenting when they have installed the Gear Pins. Provide training to all ZZZ operations managers and ramp agents on the importance of proper procedures; AML logging; and the dangers of an aircraft launching with Gear Pins installed.