Cook County state's attorney launches CTA campaign warning violent offenders of potential jail time

Updated 3 hours ago
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke is launching a public service campaign across the Chicago Transit Authority system aimed at warning people who commit violent crimes on buses and trains that her office will seek pretrial detention.

The campaign will place signs on CTA buses and trains as part of an ongoing effort to reduce crime on public transit.



"It is a sign Eileen O'Neill Burke hopes anyone boarding a CTA bus or riding a train will read in detail," according to the announcement of the campaign.

O'Neill Burke said the signs are intended to send a message to potential offenders.



"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.

According to O'Neill Burke, her office has approved felony charges in 483 CTA-related crime cases since she took office nearly two years ago.

She contrasted her approach with that of the previous administration.

"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.
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