Should MTA Workers be Allowed to Carry Tasers?

State Senator Eric Adams has proposed legislation allowing subway conductors, bus drivers, and other transit workers to carry Tasers on the job.

Adams, D-Brooklyn, argues that the Tasers would make buses and subways safer for both passengers and transit workers, but critics believe that the plan has potential to do more harm than good—especially if MTA employees overuse the devices.

Adams sought to clarify the details of his proposal in an interview with Patch this afternoon. He pointed out that the bill would not equip all transit workers with Tasers—only those that the MTA deemed necessary.

“The bill would open the door for the agencies to make the determination on their own,” he said. “It’s not a mandate.”

He also said that the Tasers could only be used in accordance with pre-existing laws that govern conduct for public employees.

“A police officer is not authorized to use a gun when he is not allowed to use it, and a transit employee would not be allowed to used his Taser in a situation that is not authorized,” Adams said. “We are not talking about just an argument or a dispute where someone is going to pull out a Taser and zap someone.

"Someone will only be able to use this when there is threat of serious injury.”

Adams, who is a former NYPD captain, envisions transit employees using the Tasers in situations where police have limited access.

“If you are on a J train crossing the Williamsburg Bridge from Marcy Avenue to the next station, and someone is assaulting an innocent passenger with a knife, or someone is putting together an explosive device, there is nothing that MTA employees have to match that level of violence,” he said. “A Taser is a non-lethal equalizer to make sure that a dangerous situation is brought to a halt.”

Despite these arguments, Adams’ bill faces an uphill battle before it becomes law. Although the Transit Workers Union local 100 has come out in support of it, both the NYPD and the MTA are currently opposed.

“I am hoping that they change their mind, which I believe they will once they have a full understanding of the bill,” he said.