CTA Boosts Security with K-9 Units

By Shula Rivera
Staff Writer

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has increased its budget to $1.8 billion, with the additional funding being directed towards new security measures for K-9 units with unarmed officers.

In August 2022, the CTA awarded an 18-month contract to Action K-9 at a cost of $30.9 million, which was paid for using the new budget. The increase in budget by 14.3% was in response to over 500 incidents occurring on CTA stations and platforms in 2022, as reported by the Chicago Police crime data.

As part of their new "Meeting the Moment" action plan, the CTA has introduced an unarmed security team with the aim of "developing new ways to target fare theft and prevent fare evasion before it might lead to other illicit activities," according to information provided on the CTA's website.

Although most students at Harold Washington College use the CTA as their primary mode of transportation to school, many were initially unaware of the new security measures.

However, students like Brooklyn Holder, who use the heavily trafficked Red Line on a daily basis, have taken notice of the increased security presence at selected stops including 95th, Jackson, and Lake stations, which includes K-9 units.

“They add tension to the homeless people. There were these two homeless women I would regularly see who suddenly, through the months of November through January, were no longer there, and when I did see them again, they no longer had their stuff,” said Holder.

As part of its effort to maintain safer and cleaner stations, the CTA has introduced stricter enforcement of loitering prohibitions, resulting in the removal of homeless individuals who rely on the train stations for warmth and shelter.

Chanel Simanton, another student who commutes on the Red Line from Chinatown to the Loop, has also noticed the increased security presence on CTA grounds.

“I feel less safe on the train than on the platform, it’s completely ineffective,” said Simanton.