A Stickup a Day on the CTA
Thursday, Jul 30, 2009 | Updated 1:44 PM CST
Getting robbed on the CTA is happening more often, but police say you can do simple things to protect yourself.
Tens of thousands of people get on 'L' trains and CTA buses every day, and most have no trouble. But the number of people who become crime victims has jumped sharply, the Sun-Times reported.
Robbery is up 77 percent in the past 3 years, from 246 incidents in 2006 to 436 in 2008, police told the paper.
That's well more than one person a day getting held up on 'L' platforms, trains and buses.
And those are just the in-your-face crimes. Theft without any kind of force is up 6 percent, from 1,173 incidents in 2006 to 1,238 in 2008.
Both unemployment and public trans ridership have also risen in recent years, and a volunteer with the Guardian Angels, a community crime-fighting group, said that combination has likely led to the higher crime rates.
But police doubted that unemployment has much to do with it -- because thieves on the CTA are often youth who don't have bills or jobs.
Police warned people to stay alert, keep their belongings on their laps, and be careful going in and out doors, because picking a pocket at that moment allows thieves to make a quick getaway.
Get more CTA safety tips here.
Posted Thursday, Jul 30, 2009 - 1:44 PM CST
