CTA Crime Concerns Arise, Residents Call For Action in Meeting With Police, CTA Officials

The meeting was expected to begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday at 850 W. Addison St.

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Lakeview residents were expected to face 19th District police and Chicago Transit Authority representatives at a meeting Wednesday coordinated to address the increase in recent crimes reported on CTA trains.

Some CTA commuters told NBC 5 they were attacked and robbed between the Roosevelt and Harrison stops on the Red Line about a week ago.

Moreover, police were warning CTA passengers of a pair of robberies reported last week on Pink Line trains in Lawndale on Chicago’s West Side.

On Jan. 2, police indicated that a man robbed and attempted to sexually assault a woman on a northbound Red Line train near Morse Avenue.

A search is still underway for an incident that took place on Nov. 29,2019 where three suspects were accused of beating and robbing a man on a CTA Red Line platform at Jackson.

Just days ago, on Sunday police announced the arrests of two female teens accused of robbing and attacking victims on the CTA Red Line train on Dec. 29, 2019. 

Authorities said the teens turned themselves in after seeing their images in a community alert, however, the remaining suspects have yet to be located as of Wednesday.

According to the city’s data portal, CTA buses, platform, and station buses saw more than 5,500 reported crimes last year—300 more than in 2018.

That’s an increase of more than 50% in four years, Chicago police said in a statement.

“Since Thanksgiving, crime on CTA went up 2 percent but arrests are up 180 percent due to mobile transit teams and the prevalence of HD cameras which aided in investigations," the statement said.

The 44th Ward Alderman Tom Tunney, arranged for representatives from the CTA and the police department’s transit unit to attend Wednesday night’s meeting at the request of residents.

The meeting was expected to begin at 7 p.m. at 850 W. Addison St.

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