Union president: Violence on CTA buses is contributing to shortage of bus drivers
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A woman was shot on a CTA bus in South Shore following a fight Tuesday night, and a day later, police were still searching for the shooter.
As CBS 2's Tara Molina reported Wednesday, union leaders say violence is affecting the city's transit system for both those who use it and those who operate its conveyances – in ways you probably are not thinking about.
At 8:10 p.m. Tuesday, a 23-year-old woman was found on a CTA bus at 71st Street and Jeffery Boulevard with a gunshot wound to the collarbone. Police said she was in an altercation with an unknown offender before the shooting.
The woman was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition. Thankfully, no one else was hurt.
Police on Wednesday would not address whether they have identified the shooter in the incident – only saying detectives are still investigating the shooting on the bus.
The president of the union that represents those drivers had much more to say.
"It sends a ripple effect through every location we've got. It sends a concern," said Keith Hill, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241. "Our phones blow up - every office phone down here blows up when that happens."
This is because while the shooting on the bus Tuesday night may have been targeted, nothing is truly isolated on a public bus. That is what Hill pointed out when we sat down with him hours later.
Hill represents the drivers he says are worried coming into work.
"My drivers are often worried about who we're picking up, what we're picking up, what they might have," Hill said. "We've had a large rash of people getting on the bus carrying guns, because they feel the need to protect themselves."
Just last week, we told you about a man using padlock on a string to smash the windows of a CTA bus at Grand and Damen avenues. A passenger on the bus told CBS 2's Sabrina Franza never get on a CTA bus again.
"Every time he hit the glass, it was almost like a gunshot," said Jim Cosenza.
Hill explained there is a larger impact - another incident, another safety concern, ultimately contributing to the shortage of bus drivers right now.
That in turn means less reliable service.
"It's a great job," Hill said. "Definitely feeling safe will make it more attractive."
The CTA has been hosting job fairs - actively working to hire drivers for months to address a shortage of drivers.
"That's where we are losing a lot of people at - that sense of security," Hill said.
A spokesperson for the Chicago Transit Authority said the agency has hired 225 bus operators this year. Their goal is to hire 700.
The spokesperson went on to say safety and security is their number one priority - and violent crime is down.
We double-checked that, and found violent crimes reported on buses is down from this same time last year. This table shows violent crime statistics on CTA buses and at CTA bus stops since 2001, by quarter.
This table limits the same data set to CTA buses only.
As for the drivers on the road today, Hill says you can help.
"Tell them thank you," Hill said. "Tell them you appreciate them showing up to work."
This is the full statement from the CTA:
"Already this year, we have had encouraging results from our extensive efforts to recruit bus operators—more than 1,000 potential applicants have attended one of our in-person job fairs.
"CTA also continues to regularly hire bus operators. As of our latest scorecard data, released earlier today, the CTA has already hired nearly one-third (or 225 full-time hires) of its 2023 goal of 700 bus operators.
"Ensuring safety and security on our system is the number one priority for both CTA and the Chicago Police Department (CPD). CPD recently announced that violent crime is down 4% in 2023, compared to the previous year; and was down 25% for the month of March compared to same period last year (more info here).
"Over the last year, CTA has added new resources to help complement the efforts led by CPD in addressing crime, and together we are continually looking for ways to expand and improve on our collaborative efforts, including the strategic deployment of resources.
"The CTA's comprehensive network of more than 33,000 security cameras has been a vital asset in quickly untangling the details of complex situations, allowing officers to quickly identify and track down those responsible for crimes committed on and near our properties.
"Further information about the incident aboard the #71 bus Tuesday evening would need to come from the Chicago Police Department. Note that CPD's statement says the two individuals were in an altercation prior to the shooting."
Police, again, did not address questions about their continued work to make the CTA safer.