Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
MTA Workers Push For Body Cameras, Citing Safety Concerns
By
Andres O'Hara
Published Aug 14, 2018
Modified Aug 14, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit
By
Andres O'Hara
Published Aug 14, 2018
Modified Aug 14, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The Transport Workers Union Local 100 and MTA president Andy Byford called for body cameras for MTA workers, in order to better identify and arrest people who assault MTA workers. Just this past weekend, three people assaulted an MTA subway conductor after missing their stop because the train went express. The incident, caught on video, shows the assailants trying to pull the conductor from his cabin, punching him, and throwing beer cans at him. No arrests have been made.
“I’ve been here long enough to see that everyday, pretty much, people are verbally assaulted, they’re spat at, they are punched, they are threatened,” Byford said at a press conference in front of the Bowling Green station, reports the Daily News. “That is unacceptable.”
Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Tony Utano said that wearing body cameras would be voluntary and that they would not be used to discipline or monitor the workers. The MTA would pay for these cameras.
“An attack on one of our employees is an attack on all of us—and this kind of conduct against the women and men who move millions of New Yorkers every day is unacceptable,” MTA Chairman Joe Lhota said in a statement, reports the NY Post. “We are going to work with our union partners and law enforcement to do everything we can to not only catch and prosecute the perpetrators but to also prevent these horrible incidents from happening.”
The Transit Workers Union stated that abuse of transit workers is rising. They cite an 11% increase of bus and subway worker harassment in the past year. More serious misdemeanors and felony assaults increased for subway workers, but fell for bus drivers.
Tagged
assault
harassment
MTA
subway
Andres O'Hara
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Police are still investigating bike crash that killed dad of 2 in Central Park
The family is raising money for the wife and two daughters he leaves behind.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Sep 29, 2026 at 9:31 a.m. ET
NYC has a plan to stop homeless people from cycling between hospitals and the streets
The Bridge to Home program, which began last year, will officially expand to Brooklyn on Tuesday.
By
Karen Yi
News
NYC has a plan to stop homeless people from cycling between hospitals and the streets
The Bridge to Home program, which began last year, will officially expand to Brooklyn on Tuesday.
By
Karen Yi
Early Addition: Billy Joel is auctioning off 70 of his motorcycles
By
James Ramsay
Man dragged to death by subway in Brooklyn after getting caught on closing doors
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Upper East Side braces for affordable housing fast track, and backlash from residents
By
David Brand
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .