Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke announced on May 19 a new multiagency initiative aimed at increasing safety for commuters using city transit. The Regional Transit Task Force will bring together the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Chicago Transit Authority to address violent crime on buses and trains throughout the city and county.
The announcement comes as local leaders seek to improve rider safety amid ongoing concerns about crime and federal funding threats. O’Neill Burke said that under this plan, law enforcement agencies will work together to move quickly from arrest to arraignment in felony cases. “There are two ways to deter crime: the likelihood of being caught and the likelihood of being punished. By working with law enforcement, we are upping the likelihood in both scenarios,” said O’Neill Burke.
O’Neill Burke also said that those facing less serious charges would be prosecuted as well, emphasizing that while there are programs for people with mental health challenges, misdemeanor prosecutions must continue so individuals can access needed services. The office plans to focus on repeat offenders by seeking detention orders and requesting court-issued “Stay Away” orders if suspects are released by judges.
“The reason for that is because they’re very likely to re-traumatize and re-victimize people at the exact same place. So, there is a twofold way that we are approaching this, but our first priority is going to be with violent offenders making sure they are detained,” said O’Neill Burke. She added that outreach would extend to various transit groups and violence prevention organizations for input into the initiative.
At Monday’s press conference inside CTA’s Roosevelt station, Acting CTA President Nora Leerhsen reported significant decreases in crime following security enhancements: a 70 percent drop in crime on Red Line’s south branch since last year; a 40 percent decline in serious crimes on buses; an overall system-wide decrease of 47 percent; and a 64 percent reduction in property-related crimes. Leerhsen credited these improvements to coordinated data-driven strategies.
Looking ahead, daily commuters can expect increased presence from officers assigned through special employment units as well as public transit police units. Block Club previously reported an expansion of canine security teams after CTA signed a nearly $90 million contract with Action K-9 Security in February 2025. Last month saw Monterrey Security dismissed due to exhausted funding.
