'You wanna be able to make it to work': CTA train riders say crime has gotten out of control
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Eight people have been attacked on the CTA over the past ten days and it's unnerving riders, who were already reluctant to use the train.
CBS 2's Tim McNicholas reports from the Roosevelt Red Line stop, where one of the attacks happened at that station hours ago.
Four men with a knife attacked and robbed a man on an elevator early Wednesday morning. Every Red Line rider CBS 2 talked to said they feel CTA crime is getting worse. CBS 2 wanted to look into that.
A look at the number of assaults, batteries and robberies through the end of April compared to that same time frame before the pandemic in 2019.
Assaults, meaning someone is threatened but not harmed: 25 in 2019 and 22 this year.
Batteries, when someone is physically hurt and includes stabbings and shootings: 86 in 2019 and 124 so far this year.
Robberies: 71 in 2019 and 93 this year.
Riders said the crime needs to stop.
"On days where events are happening, where I can't drive, I pay a little extra money for Uber if I can, just to avoid the Red Line," said Byron Odell. Because, I mean, you wanna be able to make it to work."
"There are open marijuana sales on the train, people going up and down," said Byron Samuel.
The CTA says it has hired more than 200 unarmed security guards and they're working closely with CPD to crack down on crime. In fact, CBS 2 witnessed Chicago police arrest two people on the platform at Roosevelt stop on Wednesday.
Officers said the men had just got into an argument and caused a scene at a nearby restaurant.
Police said at another part of the Red Line Wednesday morning, near 95th Street, a man struck a woman in the face, it was a couple hours after that man was robbed here at the Roosevelt stop.
In regards to the robbery that took place Wednesday morning, CPD said a 16-year-old was charged with robbery and questioning another person in connection with the incident.
