CHICAGO — Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke is rolling out a new public service campaign throughout the Chicago Transit Authority, warning anyone who commits violent crimes on CTA buses or trains that prosecutors may seek to keep them in custody before trial.
The effort will bring warning signs to CTA buses and rail cars as officials continue looking for ways to curb crime across Chicago’s public transit system.
According to the campaign announcement, O’Neill Burke wants the message to be hard to miss for riders stepping onto a CTA bus or taking a train through the city.
O’Neill Burke said the signs are designed not only to inform the public, but also to put would-be offenders on notice.
“There are two major things that deter crime. The first is the likelihood of being caught, and the second is the likelihood of being punished. So, these signs are saying you will be punished if you commit crimes on the CTA,” she said.
O’Neill Burke said her office has approved felony charges in 483 cases connected to CTA crime since she took office nearly two years ago.
She also drew a distinction between her administration’s strategy and the approach taken by her predecessor.
“In the prior administration, detention was rarely ever asked for, whether somebody presented a danger or not so that is why we came up with a very specific criteria of when we will ask detention,” O’Neill Burke said.
Of the nearly 500 cases involving violent crime on the CTA, O’Neill Burke said Cook County judges have ordered detention 83% of the time. She said prosecutors have 48 hours from the time of arrest until a defendant’s first court appearance to present arguments for detention.
“We’ve gotten much, much better at our jobs in First Appearance Court, now we have our own investigators embedded into First Appearance Court, so that we can plumb every source of information about a defendant before we go in front of the judge,” she said.
The campaign comes as the CTA and Cook County continue efforts to reduce transit crime, including the deployment of Chicago police officers and Cook County sheriff’s deputies to patrol the transit system.
Since January, O’Neill Burke said violent crime on the CTA has dropped 30%. She also said violent crime on the Red Line has fallen 79%.
The state’s attorney said she hopes the installation of 7,000 signs on buses and trains will help continue that trend.
CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen said, “More than ever before, we’re investing in new strategies to ensure appropriate resources are available to riders and that action is taken to keep your journey safe.”
O’Neill Burke also said her office will continue to aggressively prosecute nonviolent offenses on the CTA, including theft and smoking on buses and trains.
