Across the rail system, overall serious personal and property crimes decreased 24% in 2014. Robberies on the rail system decreased 26% in 2014 to 210 and have declined each year since 2011. Robberies on trains fell 23% and 28% at stations and platforms. Thefts decreased across the rail system, with the number of incidents down 31% on trains and down 12% on platforms and at stations.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) President Forrest Claypool announced that serious crimes on the CTA fell 26% during 2014. Theft and robberies declined 28% in 2014.
“Over the past three and a half years we have developed and implemented an aggressive plan to fight crime and increase safety on the CTA by adding thousands of security cameras and strengthening policing strategies,” said Mayor Emanuel. “We are committed to the safety of every Chicagoan who takes public transportation, we are sending the message that we will not tolerate criminal activity, and we are seeing the results.”
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Mayor Emanuel, the CTA and the Chicago Police Department have developed a number of strategies to tackle crime on CTA buses, trains and stations. Those include expanding the CTA’s network of security cameras to more than 23,000 cameras, including multiple cameras on every CTA train and bus, as well as at every CTA rail station. The city has also expanded police patrols, rail saturation missions and increased undercover operations.
Images from CTA security cameras aided police in identifying suspects and arresting at least 235 individuals for crimes committed on or near CTA properties, a 12% increase from 2013. The success of these efforts also serves as a deterrent to other would-be criminals.
Last year’s systemwide statistics show:
2014 saw the fewest serious crimes in the past four years.
Robberies – down 34%.
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Thefts – down 26%.
Serious crimes – down 26%.
Across the rail system, overall serious personal and property crimes decreased 24% in 2014.
Robberies on the rail system decreased 26% in 2014 to 210 and have declined each year since 2011. Robberies on trains fell 23% and 28% at stations and platforms. Thefts decreased across the rail system, with the number of incidents down 31% on trains and down 12% on platforms and at stations.
On buses, overall incidents of serious crimes dropped 30% in 2014. Robbery and theft decreased 48% and 29%, respectively, and are also at their lowest rates in the past four years.
The Plan is CTA's formal response to an FTA Special Directive issued in December and details how the agency will significantly expand the law enforcement surge it launched.
On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.
During a safety blitz, Metra employees will visit one of the railroad’s 243 stations during the morning rush hour, distributing educational materials on train and grade-crossing safety, answering questions, and listening to riders’ safety concerns.
Operated in partnership with Tech Valley Security, trained CDTA Ambassadors will be on select routes and will rotate throughout CDTA’s route network. Their presence is intended to provide customers with an approachable, visible resource focused on assistance and engagement.
Customers have always been able to report concerns through the CATS Customer Service line or the “Report a Problem to CATS” feature in the CATS-Pass mobile app; however, CATS has also integrated a Text-a-Tip line, giving riders multiple, easy-to-use channels to get support.
