According to a safety report obtained by CBS New York, assaults on transit workers in the MTA have risen by 39% in the first eight months of this year, and are projected to exceed last year’s numbers. This worrying trend has been ongoing since at least 2019.
Investigative reporter Tim McNicholas from CBS New York recently requested access to previously unreleased videos. These videos aim to shed light on the experiences of workers who have been responsible for transporting people from point A to point B over the past few years.
Police reported an incident of road rage in Inwood where a man threw something at a bus window, shattering it, and causing glass to enter the eye of the driver. The incident was caught on camera, and the footage clearly showed the reckless behavior of the perpetrator.
A video captured a concerned passenger on a Staten Island bus checking on a driver who was attacked by a man. The attacker broke a window, punched the driver, and attempted to pull him out. The passenger’s quick thinking and kind gesture show that there are still good people in the world who are willing to help others in need.
In September of last year, a video clip surfaced showing a woman in the Bronx moving a young child off a bus. In the same clip, the woman is seen using pepper spray on Efrain Martinez, a 17-year employee of MTA.
McNicholas inquired about the emotions felt in that particular moment.
Martinez shared that when the incident occurred, his mind was racing with the thought of whether he would be able to return home to his family.
MTA Outraged After Subway Worker is Attacked in Bronx
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is expressing its outrage after one of its workers was attacked on a subway platform in the Bronx. The incident occurred recently and involved an MTA employee being punched in the face by an unknown assailant. The MTA is calling for anyone with information about the attack to come forward and assist in identifying the perpetrator. The safety of MTA employees and customers is of the utmost importance, and the MTA is committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure their well-being.
As Martinez watched the video obtained by CBS New York, he noticed the passenger’s anger escalating rapidly after he politely asked her to clarify a question.
Martinez instructed the passengers to move towards the back of the bus to avoid being caught in the crossfire of the chemicals. However, in the midst of chaos, she was unable to see due to the chemicals and struggled to breathe. Fearful of a potential attack from the person who had left the bus, Martinez wondered if they would come back to harm her. Upon watching the video for the first time, she realized that the person had already left the bus, though she had been unaware of it at the time.
According to an internal MTA security report acquired by CBS New York, Martinez was among the 140 MTA workers who were assaulted on the job in 2022. The report reveals that in the first eight months of this year, a total of 110 employees were assaulted, which is a 39% surge compared to the same period last year.
During a conversation with MTA CEO Janno Lieber, McNicholas raised the question of why the incidents of employee assaults continue to rise.
Lieber emphasized the significance of the question and proceeded to explain the actions taken by the MTA. According to him, the MTA played a crucial role in advocating and pushing for the tightening of the law that enables transit bans for individuals who attack MTA workers.
According to Lieber, the crime problem within the transit system is evident in the attacks on transit workers. He emphasized that the numbers are not heading in the right direction, and it’s crucial to steer them back on track, just like the rest of the subway system.
Members of the union for drivers and conductors responded to McNicholas’ question by stating that attackers have become more confident in their actions.
TWU Local 100 Stations VP Robert Kelley believes that repeat offenders are being released multiple times, which results in chaos. He emphasizes the need to identify those individuals and the ones responsible for their release. “We’re gonna call out the names of these people, who’s releasing these people that come back out here and create havoc,” he stated.
According to the police, the woman detained in December on charges of pepper-spraying has not been previously arrested by the NYPD. As the case is sealed, the current status of the case in the courts cannot be disclosed by the prosecutors.
Also Read:
- Driver of Tesla receives 5-year imprisonment for road-rage assaults
- In Birmingham, a suspect in two downtown assaults on women was apprehended
- Dothan is plagued by a crime wave that includes shootings, assaults, and murder
