Bill would increase penalties for people who assault transit workers in Minnesota after uptick in attacks
Minnesota state lawmakers are looking to increase the penalties for people who assault transit workers, after an uptick in reported cases.
"[A rider] either put feces on one of our TRIP agents or they've been assaulted by being spit on, or they've been threatened with weapons," explained David Stiggers, president of the Amalgamated Transit Workers Local 1005.
According to Metro Transit, it's these lower-level assaults that have risen, from 78 in 2024 to 140 in 2025.
ATU 1005 represents about 2,700 workers, who Stiggers says are often at risk and need more protection.
TRIP agents started riding buses and light rails around the Twin Cities in 2024 to promote safety across the system. The agents are focused on collecting fares, assisting passengers and calling emergency responders.
Metro Transit general manager Lesley Kandaras said as public-facing staff increased, so did assaults. Kandaras testified at the Minnesota State Capitol earlier this week to advocate for these cases to be classified as a gross misdemeanor.
"Right now, if you assault a transit operator or police officer, that comes with more severe penalties and the legislation we're pursuing would extend that to all transit workers," Kandaras told WCCO. "It is an issue we want to address. We want to bring that number [of assaults] down to zero."
In a Minnesota Senate Transportation Committee meeting, Kandaras drilled down into the data.
"In 2024, we had 16 transit workers who are not operators who were assaulted," Kandaras told lawmakers. "In 2025, that grew to 72. So that is an increase and the majority of that is TRIP [agents]."
The bill, backed by the Metropolitan Council, generated bipartisan support in the state Senate committee. A similar bill is moving through the Minnesota House.
"It transcends bias and we're all about safety," said Stiggers.
He believes some instances of assault go unreported and hopes this is a step toward establishing more safeguards for TRIP agents.
Last fall, Metro Transit said it planned to ramp up security efforts on the light rail, with Metro Transit Police focusing their efforts on peak ride times and end of service. At the time, Metro Transit Police said serious crime was down 21% across the system compared to the same time in 2024. That includes crimes like robbery, assault and theft.
But according to the Metro Transit's website, total crime increased. In the first three quarters of 2025, the public transit system recorded 6,615 crimes. During the first three quarters of 2024, that number was 5,468.
Metro Transit is still working to increase ridership, a data point that dipped during the pandemic and never fully bounced back.
