As the Trump administration threatens to withhold funds for CTA and other transit agencies over safety issues, Chicago officials are still trying to crack down on violent crime.
Those efforts come after two more violent crimes were reported over the weekend, with a man seriously hurt after he was stabbed in the chest at the 69th Street Red Line station on Sunday morning.
That comes after Saturday when a 37-year-old man had died after he was stabbed several times at the Clark and Lake stop, according to Chicago police.
While Chicago police data shows that crime on CTA property is down, the perception issue is an ongoing problem, and one that the city and various agencies are trying to address with a series of high-profile security measures.
“Chicago is really in a tough spot. Because the leverage is in Washington…already withheld funding over several big projects. In a way those signals from Washington are playing into public perception,” Professor Joe Schwieterman, a public transit lecturer at DePaul University, said.
In recent weeks, the city has launched a so-called “security surge,” hiring more off-duty cops to work security on trains, buses and at stations.
Some riders have noticed a difference, but some still raise questions.
“I feel good. I feel safe,” CTA rider Jim Courtney said.
“Some days you’re feeling safe. You can travel Chicago feeling worriless,” CTA rider Travon Smith added. “Somedays it’s the craziest thing out of all the week.”
The federal government has given Chicago a 90-day deadline to curtail crime on transit property, threatening to withhold funding if actions aren’t taken.
That deadline will arrive in March, leaving city officials working to address the issues in enough time.
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