MTA putting body cameras on workers in pilot project

NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - Three days after two people assaulted a subway conductor at the Grant Avenue station in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, transit workers union president Tony Utano and NYC Transit president Andy Byford held a joint news conference outside of MTA headquarters to announce what they described as an "all-out blitz against those who think attacking transit workers is acceptable.

"Every day, people are verbally assaulted, they are spat at, they are punched, they are threatened," Byford said.

"When they get caught, they're going to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law," Utano said.

All along the A line, most wanted posters show Saturday's apparent assaulters and five other suspects wanted for their roles in attacks on transit workers.

Both Utano and Byford argued for a pilot program to equip some of this city's 50,000 transit workers with body cameras to better photograph any assailants.

Byford called the majority of the millions of New Yorkers who ride buses and trains "decent and honest people."

"They get frustrated from time to time and we know that the service isn't as reliable as it should be," he said.

Byford reminded everyone in this city that assaulting a transit worker represents a class-d felony. He said he planned to meet with district attorneys and the NYPD to stop the recent rash of assaults.

The attack on Saturday left the conductor with scratches and a black eye. The assault allegedly happened after he announced that the train would be making express stops.

"It was shocking to me. In fact, I would go as far as to say it was disgusting," Byford said. "It was appalling."