Traffic Enforcement Agents get help from governor

Think twice before getting angry over that parking ticket. Legislation signed by Governor David Paterson last week will increase penalties for assaults on Traffic Enforcement Agents (TEA) from a misdemeanor to a felony.
The legislation seeks to raise this offense to assault in the second degree, a Class D felony, carrying with it a sentence of two and one-third to seven years in jail, instead of assault in the third degree, a Class A misdemeanor, for which the maximum sentence is a year’s imprisonment and/or a $1,000 fine. The legislation also adds TEAs and marshals to a protected class of law-enforcement officials.
New York City TEAs work under the auspices of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). Approximately 2,200 agents belong to CWA Local 1182; an additional 400 supervisors belong to CWA Local 1181.
From July 1 to September 15, 2007, Traffic Enforcement Agents were victimized in the line of duty 83 times, according to figures released by Local 1182. This includes 13 assaults committed against TEAs, two incidents of reckless endangerment, two incidents of menacing, and one incident of larceny, among other crimes.
James Huntley, President of CWA Local 1182, explained that these numbers mean that in just 10 weeks, three percent of the workforce was victimized in the line of duty. On an annualized basis, this works out to roughly 15 percent of New York City’s traffic agents becoming crime victims simply for doing their jobs, according to Huntley. Like police officers, TEAs are often targets of violence and harassment specifically because of their role in writing summonses and having cars towed, he continued.
“As other law-enforcement personnel, they are more likely to be targets of violence or harassment because of their jobs,” he said. “No one likes to get a ticket. But the contempt some people have for the job of the TEA does not warrant the violence occasionally expressed towards these dedicated law enforcement officers.”
Prior to this legislative change, an assault on a police officer directing traffic or issuing a summons was subject to felony prosecution and up to seven years in state prison. On the other hand, someone who assaulted a TEA directing traffic or issuing a summons at the same intersection, and the same time, was subject to misdemeanor and less than one year at Riker’s Island.
In recent years, protections have been extended to several groups of public workers. For example, assaulting train operators, conductors, bus operators, or station agents is assault in the second degree, punishable by two to seven years in prison. Assault on a peace officer, police officer, fireman, or emergency medical services professional which causes serious physical injury is punishable by 3 -15 years in prison. Attempted aggravated assault on a peace officer or police officer by using a deadly weapon is punishable by 7-20 years in prison.