Metra to launch new police patrol unit on all lines

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Metra Police are launching a new unit to patrol trains, the agency announced Thursday.

The six-officer unit will service as "a visible law enforcement presence and deterring criminal activity," according to a press release. Officers will travel in uniform and plain clothes on all 11 of its lines.

Metra says it conducted onboard patrols on 3,500 trains in 2015, up from 3,200 in 2014.