With three violent attacks on CTA in as many days, no response from city officials on whether stronger safety measures are needed
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Three violent attacks have transpired on the CTA in three days.
Most recently, a man was stabbed during a robbery on a Green Line platform in the South Loop Wednesday night.
All the crimes remain under investigation. And as CBS 2's Tara Molina reported Thursday, all of this comes as the city stands by its decision to address safety concerns with increased unarmed security.
But when we asked the Mayor's office if this week demonstrates more safety measures are needed on our public transit, there was no response.
On Monday night, a train operator was pushed onto the tracks as he looked down for a cellphone someone said they dropped at the Granville Red Line station in Edgewater.
On Tuesday night, a 43-year-old man was attacked and punched by a group of people at the Lake Street Red Line subway station in the Loop.
And on Wednesday night, a 26-year-old man was stabbed by three men trying to rob him at the Cermak-McCormick Place Green Line stop, according to Chicago Police.
Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd), who suggested spending the $12.5 million in proposed gas giveaway money on CTA safety at Wednesday's City Council meeting, told us in a statement that the current plan isn't working:
"Unfortunately, CTA's recent addition of unarmed security to the transit system is not getting the job done. There is no acceptable substitute for well-trained police officers. The mere presence of uniformed officers on transit lines has an enormous deterrent effect on crime.
"For nearly two years, I have been asking that uniformed police officers be deployed to patrol CTA train cars and check platforms at each stop. Despite repeated requests, this has not yet happened in any meaningful way.
"Worse yet, over the past several years, the number of police assigned to Transit has been allowed to plummet by hundreds of officers: the unit has shrunk considerably over the past 5 years.
"Because resources appear to be the issue, I would suggest ending CTA's private security contract for unarmed personnel; redirect that funding to put uniformed officers on trains; and supplement that investment with the $12.5 million that is being proposed for the one-time gasoline giveaway and free CTA fares.
"The greatest way we can avoid paying higher prices at the pump while helping support the CTA is by providing people a reliable, clean and safe public transit system. Once people feel safe using the CTA again, we will see fewer cars on the road, fewer people relying on fossil fuel to get to work, less pain in the wallet and a dramatic increase in ridership."
Does anyone agree?
We asked Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Chicago Police, and the Chicago Transit Authority if the security plans announced last month - increased unarmed security guards monitoring the trains - are sufficient given safety concerns from both workers and passengers.
The Mayor's office told us they aren't responding to our request:
"We have no statement. Please connect with CPD."
Chicago Police would only say they're still investigating the incidents, and won't discuss specific deployment or patrol numbers.
There was also more of the same from the CTA, which is also still investigating. This was their statement:
"As it does for every crime, CTA is reviewing and providing security camera footage for the alleged incident reported around 10 p.m. Wednesday night.
"Our initial, preliminary review of footage at the Cermak-McCormick Place Green Line station, as well as nearby stations, does not show any evidence of an attack occurring on CTA property, including the platform or mezzanine. Further, security video does not show the victim at the station, nor on any Green Line train that stopped at the station.
"CTA continues to review the video, and has provided all video to Chicago Police to assist in its investigation."
The CTA had no answers to our specific questions about those unarmed guards, how many are on the trains, and whether they've actively prevented anything since patrols ramped up.
The CTA has also yet to release images of any of the suspects, even though they haven't been identified.
A spokesperson for the CPD told us: "If our office does receive images or video will disseminate them accordingly. If detectives have any images to release, they will create a Community Alert, which our office will disseminate at that time."
Meanwhile, rides along Red and Green line trains turned up no sign of any unarmed security guards, or police officers, on trains or platforms. That doesn't mean they weren't somewhere else, however, which is why we pushed the city for information on those safety plans.
Some of our questions were as follows: Where are the security guards and when? Are they always in groups? Do they coordinate with the CPD? Have they actually prevented any crime since the city announced they were upping their patrols last month?
But again, we did not get any information or answers from city officials on any of the above.
