Legislation recently introduced in the Rhode Island General Assembly would amend the definition of “assaults” to include railroad workers who are engaged in the performance of their duties.
Assault is legally defined as knowingly and willfully either striking or spraying with a noxious chemical, commonly used as a personal defense weapon. Under current law, the definition of assault covers officials, public servants and public transit authority bus drivers.
The legislation would classify an attack that results in bodily harm as a felony with a penalty of up to three years in prison, a fine of up to $1,500, or both.
The bill has the support of SMART, the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers.
“This bill is another tool that allows us to continue fighting back against the epidemic of transit violence that’s unfortunately showing no signs of slowing down,” Cole Czub, chairman of SMART’s Bus & Transit Assault Prevention & Safety Committee, said. “While we’d love to eliminate the threat entirely, we know that’s a heavy lift. Holding perpetrators accountable for their violent behavior and ensuring that our passenger rail workers and bus operators can perform their jobs in the safest environment possible are strong first steps toward making that a reality one day.”