The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has been working to decrease overall crime on the system and their efforts seem to be paying off. The total number of violent crimes and thefts on CTA for the first half of the year has declined 34%.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago Police Department and the CTA implemented several crime reduction strategies in 2011 that involved expanded police patrols, rail saturation missions, undercover operations, and a huge expansion of CTA’s bus and rail camera surveillance.
The breakdown of reductions is below:
- Violent Crimes on the system down 34%
- Robbery down 35%
- Aggravated assault down 6.3%
- Aggravated battery down 48.3%
- Larceny – theft down 18.4%
- Overall serious personal and property crimes down 21.9%
Fortunately, St. Louis’ stats are much lower than Chicago’s, but perceptions about crime on the system tend to deter non riders from trying it out.
The St. Louis system is closely monitored, and there are emergency phones and guards at each MetroLink station to assure passenger safety.
Story source – http://www.metro-magazine.com/news/story/2014/08/chicago-transit-crime-down-34-compared-to-2013.aspx?ref=Express-Tuesday-NEW-20140805&utm_campaign=Express-Tuesday-NEW-20140805&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter