Brooklyn, NY – Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes announced the creation of a new program to handle prosecution of assaults against New York City Traffic Enforcement Agents. He was joined in the announcement by NPYD Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, Mark Rosenthal, President of Local 983 DC 37 AFSCME, and James Huntley, President of CWA Local 1182.
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“This program is essential, to ensure that assaults on Traffic Enforcement Agents are prosecuted swiftly, efficiently and to the fullest extent of the law,” said District Attorney Hynes. “These officers help keep our streets safe, and I applaud the State Legislature for passing a new law last July, which made assaulting them a felony.”
Police Commissioner Kelly said, “Traffic Enforcement Agents perform valuable and essential services for members of the public who often show little appreciation or worse. I supported the law that made it a felony to assault a traffic enforcement agent, and I applaud the commitment by District Attorney Hynes to make its enforcement a priority. The message is simple: assault a traffic agent, go to jail.”
Local 983 DC 37 AFCME President Rosenthal said, “Members of the public sometimes try to punish Traffic Enforcement Agents for their own actions. Yet the Traffic Enforcement Agents are just enforcing the law. Reacting in anger against a Traffic Enforcement Agent is never acceptable, and Local 983 of DC 37 thanks Brooklyn DA Hynes for his commitment to aggressively enforce the new law making an assault against a Traffic Enforcement Agent a more serious crime.”
CWA Local 1182 President Huntley said, “District Attorney Charles Hynes has always taken a leadership role in the enforcement of laws that protect the public and ensure that our streets and neighborhoods are safe. The members of CWA Local 1182, traffic enforcement agents of New York City are grateful for the support and cooperation received by the Brooklyn District Attorney. District Attorney Hynes has consistently taken a tough position when it comes to enforcing laws that protect our traffic agents. Assaults on traffic agents in Brooklyn are not tolerated and perpetrators are prosecuted.”
The program is similar to the DA’s Office’s Assault on Police Officer Program (APOP), but it has the goal of protecting Traffic Enforcement Agents from random attacks. Both programs consist of a team of prosecutors and investigators who look into cases where an officer has been seriously injured, shot at or attacked with a deadly weapon, or if there is an attempted assault.
Assaulting a Traffic Agent is a Class-D Felony, punishable by up to 7 years in prison.
Lets see a law that if they catch a traffic agent writing a fake ticket they automatically go to jail.
And better yet, let’s see if the implement a law to protect the people who are wrongly accused by those agents… Who are known to use this new law to get even with inocent people!!!
very good! they are people just like us just doing their job!
I disagree with this law and the devious reasons given to get us to acquiesce. Traffic agents are just that “traffic agents”, people hired by the city to give parking (traffic) tickets. They are already protected by the law just like agents of Con Edison or any other company is.
Hynes says that: “This program is essential, to ensure that assaults on Traffic Agents are prosecuted swiftly, efficiently and to the fullest extent of the law,” and to justify “PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT” for them he tells us that “These officers help keep our streets safe”, which he knows full well is NOT the reason for them; to generate lots of money is their REAL reason for them.
Police Commissioner Kelly tells us that: “Traffic Agents perform valuable and essential services for members of the public” which again is not saying the truth. The truth is that they in no way perform a service for the public; they only provide a service for those that hired them to be vultures and to hound the people for money; if no money were to be made, then you can rest assured that they wouldn’t be performing “valuable and essential services for members of the public”.
Hynes also says that “The message is simple: assault a traffic agent, go to jail” and we are told that this means seven years. What he is not telling us, is that this is the same system which is stacked against us when fighting tickets where you are guilty even if found innocent, it is the same system which is going to believe the meter maids word against us the simple Jlubs on the street.
On the whole the meter maids I met came across mostly as mean and nasty. Yes, maybe they have to be that way to get their job done; but don’t tell us how NICE and decent people they are when their job is no different then executioners in the hanging chambers.
I agree with Rosenthal that “Reacting in anger against a Traffic Enforcement Agent is never acceptable”, but I disagree with him on making a NEW law making an assault against a Traffic Enforcement Agent a more serious crime.” The crime should be EXACTLY what the crime is when a JUDGE or an ordinary person is assaulted, nothing less and nothing more.
If they want to hire a team of prosecutors and investigators especially for them is their problem, it shows how much faith they have in the system for us ORDINARY people.
I disagree with this if for no other reason that the Traffic agents will undoubtedly USE this to get even with the public for perceiving them as vultures. They will accuse anybody who argues with them with assault. Because they have a chip on their shoulder is not a good enough reason to make SPECIAL laws for them; my job is dangerous too.
My fear is that the “preferential treatment” will end up as allowing their accusation to be accepted in court as evidence. This means that being accused constitutes conviction. I hope that such unfairness is tried and found unconstitutional. I’m not a lawyer, but I smell a rat.
“Traffic Enforcement Agents perform valuable and essential services for members of the public who often show little appreciation or worse.”
Oh, yeah? So than why are they not appreciated? Obviously they do the service for a very elite members of the public, politicians. They raise money for Gloomberg. If they are here to protect the public, why are there two of them on every block on 13th Ave. I dont see any real police officers who are really here to protect the public. Traffic officers are nothing but drags.
These officers help keep our streets safe, and I applaud the State Legislature for passing a new law last July, which made assaulting them a felony.”
“Traffic Enforcement Agents perform valuable and essential services for members of the public who often show little appreciation or worse.
who are they kidding they want it to be a felloney because they are the protecting the city’s pick pockets these traffic agents are key to the citys profit
Is there anyone reading this who thinks that Bloomberg is going to make even one job get lost at the traffic tickets meter maid 300 + pounders, formerly on welfare, currently on donuts, department?
Also, I want to give an award to whoever it is who has been making all those meters say, “FAIL.” May they be blessed. They really understand what it means to be hated. So does Bloomberg, but that’s why he chose the most-likely-to-hate 300+ pounders club (300+pc).
Formerly kitchen addicts, who spend all welfare check monies on sneakers, potatoes and Dunkins Donuts, Bloomberg searched for the most likely to give tickets with hate. He found them.
Avrohom Abba should look in his own back yards. The problems you see in others are the same troubles inflicting yourself.
13th avenue need traffic tow truck on every block YOU double park that’s it you got to be towed.It’s going to be so nice to shop to enjoy the stores ,restaurants,people the neighborhood……….
this BROWNS are here to make $money$for are beloved mayer and they are doing it all the way.even if you just drop of someone they will come and give you a ticket ..they are geveng tickets for inocnt pepole just to show the boss they doing a good job
Shame shame Hynes!
OK Askupeh here’s my answer. First if you are going to compare judges with Traffic Agents then why not throw in Bus drivers. Bus drivers received the same protection in 2007 where were you then. How many judges were attacked in the past few years,I believe the answer is one while performing his duty. Other judges have been assaulted while off the bench in random attacks not associated with their service. In other words like any citizen in public. Now on the other hand traffic Agents and bus drivers are attacked 2 or more times a day performing their duties. They are not receiving preferential treatment, the law is a tool of deterrence against the violence they are subject to. Would you assault a Police officer over a parking ticket if you felt it was unjust? No, A normal person would go to the P.V.B and fight the summons presenting evidence. Also if you believe the Cop or traffic Agent committed perjury you may file a complaint with C.C.R.B. This is the proper course of action to remove bad apples that exist in city service. Are your objections racially motivated? Do you condone attacks on public officials?Physically assault a Traffic Agent a Police Officer you are subject to felony conviction – assault a judge G_d help you!
remove all 3000 traffic agents from the city restrict cops from enforcing traffic rules and then tell me what happens next please I want to know
Nowhere in this publishing do I see any contact information should you wish to file a complaint against a traffic enforcement agent