Former MBTA Transit Police Officer Accused Of 2 Indecent Assaults

BOSTON, MA — A 22-year veteran of the MBTA Transit Police accused of indecent assault on two women at a T Station was released on his own recognizance Friday even though the prosecutor requested a $10,000 bail, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's office.

Transit Police detectives took James Floyd, 60 of Winthrop who into custody Friday morning in connection with two separate indecent assaults at North Station that reportedly happened late last month on the same day while he was working as a Transit Police officer.

“There is no excuse for sexual assault and absolutely no room in law enforcement for the behavior alleged in these complaints,” DA Conley said. “I want to thank Transit Police for taking this investigation so seriously from its earliest stages, and I want to remind every victim and survivor that our office will always be a safe, respectful, and confidential resource for anyone who wants to disclose sexual assault.”

“Transit Police officers are held to the highest standards of professional conduct and the overwhelming majority of TPD officers are dedicated hard working public servants,” Chief Green said. “We in law enforcement derive our legitimacy not through laws or statues but rather by the very people we are sworn to serve. This arrest demonstrates the value we place on legitimacy bestowed upon us by the public.”

Polumbaum told the court Friday that Floyd indecently assaulted two women within a 17-minute time span on the afternoon of March 29.

After the first assault, he allegedly offered the victim a knife and challenged her to stab him, then opened a collapsible metal baton and stared at her in a threatening manner before walking away. Both women disclosed the assaults, which were soon reported to Transit Police.

Command staff terminated the detail he was working and relieved him of duty; he later resigned from the Transit Police.

The victims and numerous witnesses made themselves available to Transit Police detectives in the days that followed. Based on their disclosures and additional evidence gathered by investigators, Transit Police obtained a warrant for his arrest and took him into custody this morning.

Floyd's LinkedIn profile appears to indicate he has been an MBTA Transit Police officer for more than two decades and was a Winthrop Police officer for nearly a dozen years before that.

According to that social networking site a man named James Floyd who graduated from Winthrop High School in 1976, worked at an airline company for 12 years before joining the Town of Winthrop's police force in 1984. It says on LinkedIn that he was a uniform patrol officer, detective, and dive rescue specialist until 1996, when he became a Transit Police officer with the MBTA. For the past 22 years he has been on the force, working as a plain clothes anti-crime officer, and most recently was a uniform patrol officer, according to his profile there.

The prosecution also asked the judge for Floyd to stay away from all civilian witnesses and relevant MBTA locations. The judge granted that.

Sexual assault can happen to anyone:
While the victims of any crime are asked to call 911 in an emergency, survivors of sexual violence can also call their local rape crisis center for free and confidential services and to discuss their options. Support is available for all survivors of sexual violence, regardless of whether they wish to take part in a criminal prosecution. Services by city and town can be found through Jane Doe Inc. at www.janedoe.org/find_help/search. Jane Doe Inc. is a coalition of 60 local member programs working together to find lasting solutions that promote the safety, liberty, and dignity for victims and survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

In Suffolk County, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center offers a free and confidential 24-hour hotline at 800-841-8371. The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center provides medical accompaniment and many other free services to victims of rape and sexual assault. Suffolk victim-witness advocates can assist in referrals to BARCC and a wide array of non-profit service providers who can offer additional support and services.

• [Editor's Note: this version has been changed from its original to correctly reflect Floyd's release.]

>>(For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to your Free neighborhood Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)<<

File Photo By Jenna Fisher/Patch