Safety barriers like this would be required on all transit vehicles throughout the State of Florida |
HART is leading a
statewide initiative to implement new legislation addressing the growing trend
of violence transit employees and other uniformed public servants face in
Florida. HART is proud to partner with State Senator Keith Perry
(R-Gainesville) and State Representative Michael Beltran (R-Tampa) who just
filed the "Uniformed Public Servant Protection Act" for the 2020
session. SB 1416 and HB 951 both seek to curb violent threats against uniformed
public servants in the workplace.
Sen. Perry and Rep. Beltran are spearheading the legislation
which would require all Florida transit agencies and the State itself to make
specific changes to enhance public safety and further protect uniformed public
servants.
"As Chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, I
felt compelled to address the recent acts of violence and threats of violence
against uniformed public servants," said Sen. Perry. "By increasing
the penalty for assault against transit workers and other public servants, as
well comprehensive training and protective barriers on public transport, we are
demonstrating our commitment to public safety throughout our state."
HART is leading the way by implementing three of these changes
and advocating for a fourth to protect transit employees. The leadership of
Rep. Beltran and Sen. Perry to make all of these changes uniform across our
state takes this public safety movement to a new level. The legislation
proposes four changes:
- require the installation of protective barriers on public transit;
- require the posting of the maximum penalty for assaulting a transit worker;
- require mandatory training for drivers to defuse and de-escalate potentially violent situations;
- increase the current enhancement for assault against a uniformed public servant (transit workers, law enforcement and other first responders) from a 1st-degree misdemeanor to a 3rd-degree felony.
"Over the past seven months, one HART bus driver in
Tampa has been murdered and another violently attacked, while operating public
transit buses," said Rep. Beltran who is also a key member of the
Hillsborough County delegation. "I filed this legislation in an effort to
help keep people safe through tougher penalties for threats of violence,
protective barriers for drivers, and increased training to help defuse
potential threats."
The proposed legislation mirrors the Amalgamated Transit
Union's (ATU) push for similar changes on the national level with HR 1139.
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