Under the new Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office is leading a task force focused on public transit safety, and it reports some early success.
There are about 50 sheriff’s officers and another 15 civilian employees working on public transit, along with CPD officers and security guards.
Sheriff Tom Dart told WBBM, on one section of the Red Line, between downtown and 95th Street, in three months, they’ve made a difference.
“In just the area that we are talking about we were able to drive violent crime down by 77-percent,” he said. “That’s substantial. There are other factors in play. Nonetheless, its good numbers for a very concerted effort by a lot of people.”
Sheriff’s Officers are dealing with a lot of smaller, but important issues to riders, like smoking, drinking and playing music on trains and turnstile jumping.
They’ve made about 250 arrests, Dart said, and have issued numerous citations and warnings.
Civilian employees of the sheriff’s department have been assisting the homeless.
“You have to have the civilian component,” he said. “Some of the bigger issues that cause some of the biggest problems on the lines are people who are suffering from mental illness, substance abuse issues, homelessness, the whole range of things that really don’t need police, they need somebody that can help get them into a program, get them into housing, a whole range of things.”
Part of Dart’s role with the task force is determining whether there should be a single entity that’s responsible for public transit safety on the CTA, Metra and PACE.
“I am strongly recommending that it is one entity,” he said.
