CPD to work more closely with unarmed security guards on the CTA to fight violent crime
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Three people were stabbed in separate attacks on the CTA over the weekend, renewing concerns about safety on the city's mass transit system.
Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said Monday afternoon the CTA is one of CPD's three main challenges right now, so officers are immediately going to start working more closely with the unarmed security guards already working the transit system.
"We've been working separately too much. We need to work in unison much more," Brown said.
Brown's comments come after three knife attacks on the CTA in less than 24 hours over the weekend.
It started when a 50-year-old man was stabbed in the back of the head and pushed onto the train tracks around 9:30 p.m. Saturday the Cicero Avenue CTA Green Line stop.
According to police, he was standing on the platform when a man attacked him with a knife. He suffered a broken elbow, but is expected to recover.
Police are still looking for the man who stabbed him, as well as the attackers in two other stabbing incidents on CTA property over the weekend.
More than an hour after that first attack, a 39-year-old man was stabbed in his arm and face while riding a Blue Line train at the Damen stop in Wicker Park.
Around 7:30 a.m. Sunday, three men were standing on at the Midway Orange Line terminal platform in West Elsdon, when an unknown man began arguing with them, and then pulled out a knife and began swinging it at all three victims. A 29-year-old man suffered a cut to his left arm, and was taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital in good condition.
Brown said the CTA needs more resources to help fight crime.
"We'll continue to add resources until we see the kind of safety that the city of Chicago deserves," Brown said.
Police haven't said if the three stabbing incidents investigations are related, but Brown said police are going to start working directly with the 200-plus unarmed CTA security guards working the system now 24/7; guards, who to our knowledge, haven't intervened in or prevented any incidents yet.
"When security officers are unarmed, maybe offenders don't take them as seriously as they would, but if we work together, I think it could be impactful," Brown said.
Tracking all aspects of the crime issue closely for weeks now, we know a number of the recent violent CTA cases still haven't been solved.
On Monday, Brown was asked why, in so many of these unsolved cases, are photos of those behind violent crimes on the CTA not being shared with the public, including in recent cases where we've recently learned investigations have already been suspended?
"The CTA video cameras are run by CTA, they are not CPD cameras, and yes, we ought to be releasing the images that will help us solve those crimes," Brown said.
A CPD spokesperson said detectives will share those images if they see fit. Also, If detectives have any images to release, they will create a Community Alert, which CPD will send out to the public.
Anyone with information about any crime is urged to contact police or submit an anonymous tip online at CPDTIP.com