Chicago Transit Authority to Boost Policing Hours by 75%

In December, federal officials tasked the CTA to develop an enhanced security plan or risk losing federal funding.

1 minute read

March 12, 2026, 7:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Silver CTA train pulling into elevated platform station in Chicago, Illinois.

CTA is working with the Chicago Police to enhance security at stations. | Martin Wheeler III / Shutterstock

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) submitted a Revised Security Enhancement Plan to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), complying with an FTA directive from December. 

As an article in Metro Magazine explains, the plan includes a 75 percent increase in monthly policing hours, “aggressive” crime reduction goals, and expanded social service support such as mental health teams and more shelter beds for unhoused Chicagoans. One new initiative, the Transit Rider Interaction Program (TRIP), sends teams of law enforcement officers to board trains and inspect cars at high-incident stations. Since the program began in January, crime at targeted stations dropped by 15 percent. 

According to CTA, transit worker assaults fell by 25 percent in January and 29 percent in February compared to the six-month average before the December 2025 security surge.

Wednesday, March 11, 2026 in Metro

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