Transit Workers Battle Assaults

With assaults on transit workers increasing dramatically in recent years, ATU Local 689 members are demanding stiffer penalties for such crimes. The local is backing the “Transit Operator Protection Act” and seeking to extend the DC City Council bill to Metro station managers. “Crimes such as simple assault and throwing objects at WMATA buses increased 52 percent from 2003 to 2004,” reports Local 689 President Jackie Jeter. “The number of assaults on Metro buses rose to 125 in 2004 from 114 in 2003 and there were 66 assaults on bus drivers in 2004 compared with 46 in 2003, according to Transit Police statistics.” A hearing on the bill before the Committee on the Public Safety and Judiciary chaired by Phil Mendelson is scheduled for September 24 at 11 am at the John Wilson Building. Crimes range from simple assault to throwing objects at a bus to brutal sexual offenses. One driver suffered a broken nose when a passenger refused to pay his fare, hit the driver and fled. In another case, a female bus driver was sexually assaulted by a rider after she had stopped at the end of a route.