A new regional task force will bring together police, federal agents, and transit officials for the first time to crack down on crime on Chicago-area buses and trains, Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke announced.
The Regional Transit Task Force will include the Chicago Police Department, CTA, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, ATF, DEA, Metra, and Pace. The group holds its first meeting May 26.
The move comes as transit agencies grapple with safety concerns that have made riders wary of using public transportation. O’Neill Burke said the task force will allow law enforcement to share information and coordinate investigations across jurisdictions.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe and secure on public transit,” O’Neill Burke said.
The task force builds on an internal unit the State’s Attorney’s Office created to prosecute transit crimes. Prosecutors in that unit receive specialized training from the CTA and Chicago Police on video evidence that can be used in court.
CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen said the partnership marks a shift in how the region approaches transit safety.
“This is an unprecedented partnership that brings together local, county and federal law enforcement to work alongside every major transit agency in the Chicago region,” Leerhsen said.
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said coordination across agencies is essential. Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart noted that safe transit connects communities across Northeastern Illinois, where roughly 2 million people ride public transportation.