View Video of Chair Lieber's Comments

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber - I want to turn to something that’s pretty serious that’s also going on. The world doesn't stop when we have good news. Another piece of good news, although bittersweet is that the NYPD has arrested a fellow named Anthony Williams who assaulted one of our station agents last week at Nereid Avenue in the Bronx. I want to thank the NYPD Transit Bureau and its chief Michael Kemper for speedy work.

I hope everybody is noticing that although we still do have some pretty tough incidents in the subway system and in this era of social media, those videos do tend to get around, that the NYPD is collaring the bad guys within 48 hours every time. They are getting these guys, and they are almost all men. They're getting their men almost immediately. They're collaring them.

Now what I want to say is to be very clear, I am not going to stand by when people are attacking MTA workers who are serving the public and especially station agents who have stepped out of the booths to provide more customer service. That's not going to be acceptable. It's not acceptable, I won't stand for it, and we have worked closely with the Bronx District Attorney in at least a couple of other cases where there have been attacks on MTA workers. I know she feels strongly about it, and today I'm saying once again that we need to use the banning tool that is available in the criminal justice, law enforcement package of tools, the enforcement options.

I understand that the criminal justice system has to run its course. And I hope that there's going to be a serious level of punishment for this fellow. But what I want to say is, that offender needs not to come back into the transit system. Our station agents should not fear that somebody who attacked another station agent a few weeks or months ago is back in the system. And that does happen. So today, I just want to be very clear I want this guy, it’s an allegation, it's a charge, so criminal justice is gonna have to find him guilty, or there'll be a plea. But if there's a plea, or if there's a finding of guilt, I want that guy banned from the system. Period, end. And we're gonna keep saying it because our workers who are public servants of the highest order need to be protected. 

View Video of Chair Lieber's Additional Comments

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber - Just a quick update on what I talked about before, which is the attack on that station agent up in the Bronx at Nereid Avenue. I was just informed that the judge has imposed a significant bail. I think it's $75,000. So, we're hopeful that it is indicative of how the justice system is going to treat this offense, this attack.

The Station Agent who was attacked is 74 years old. 74 years old. So, people are beating up 74-year-old station agents who are doing public service, that is just unacceptable. I'm not going to stand for it. And I appreciate that the Bronx D.A. Darcel Clark is stepping up to make sure that the bail is high. And we hope that the enforcement is going to be successful, the prosecution that is going to be successful.