(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — After a recent spike in violence on the CTA – including a shooting this week on the Red Line – the transit agency and Chicago police are adding more patrols.
CTA President Dorval Carter on Wednesday said they will double the number of unarmed security guards due to a growth in violence on public transit.
“Because there are fewer riders on the system for a long stretch of time, this in turn has led some people to feel a little more emboldened to engage in unacceptable behavior,” Carter said.
Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said the department will assign counterterrorism officers to work on the Red and Blue lines, as well as bus lines that he calls “problematic.”
“Officers will be visible, and our department will work with the CTA to analyze trends and deploy resources at optimal times and locations,” Brown said.
Carter says the CTA guards won’t be able to make arrests but should provide a visual deterrent to criminals. They will be trained in de-escalation tactics and working with the homeless, he added.
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