Viral 2025 fight video prompts questions about CTA private K-9 security training
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicagoans riding public transit have likely seen muzzled German Shepherds and their private security handlers on Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train platforms for years.
But several experts told the ABC7 I-Team they have serious questions over whether the teams riders see on a daily basis are properly trained, and the multi-million-dollar contract that funds them with Chicago tax dollars.
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As the I-Team previously reported, a Chicago attorney's legal fight with the CTA eventually uncovered more than 100 complaints filed in the last four years attributed to Action K-9 Security, the private canine contractor hired by the CTA for a two-year, $89.6 million contract.
Some of those complaints centered around a violent incident caught on camera on the 69th Street Red Line platform last year.
It was July 9, 2025, when a violent brawl was caught on camera, and went viral on social media.
In the video, you can see punches and trash cans thrown; A guard falling onto the tracks; and the security canine on scene is un-muzzled and trying to bite people in its vicinity.
Court records show four men were eventually arrested and charged for attacking the security guards and inciting the "mob" incident.
But ABC7 police affairs consultant Bill Kushner says the video reveals glaring issues with those private security K-9 teams.
"It was a melee, and the dog just contributed to the confusion," Kushner said. "If the dogs are not adequately trained, the dog is going to bite whatever happens to get in its way."
In Action K-9 Security's contract with the CTA, it states, "The Contractor must ensure that canines are muzzled at all times."
Over the years, records released by the CTA show riders have written into the agency, questioning whether the dogs and handlers are properly trained.
Kushner has the same questions.
"Who trains their dogs?" Kushner asked after seeing the Red Line fight video. "Are they trained internally by somebody who thinks they're a dog trainer, or are they trained by an accredited working dog trainer?"
State records reviewed by the I-Team show Action K-9 Security is licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to train its own instructors and handlers.
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In training documentation Action K-9 Security staff provided to state officials, obtained by the I-Team through a Freedom of Information Act request, the company said its patrol handlers must complete at least 180 hours of training and pass a final exam "with a minimum score of 70%" in order to be certified.
These standards are in line with state regulations over canine handler training courses, according to the law.
But Mike Bullock, an accredited working dog trainer and founder of the American Working Dog Association, tells the I-Team national standards require hundreds of more hours of training to be certified.
"You can tell those dogs didn't know what they're doing," Bullock said after watching the 2025 Red Line fight video. "He wasn't honed enough, trained enough."
"Handler and dog, it's a team effort," Bullock said. "And you can tell part of the team was missing."
The United States Police Canine Association, one of the leading organizations that certifies working security dogs in the country, requires a minimum of 400 hours of training in order to certify a patrol dog and handler, and 320 hours of training for detection dogs, said USPCA Executive Director Danny Jones.
For weeks, the I-Team has been in contact with Action K-9 Security, but the contractor did not respond to our questions about its certifications, or if the Red Line fight led to any internal investigations or changes.
Both Action K-9 Security and the CTA declined the I-Team's request for an interview.
Contract records show Action K-9 Security's Director of Security James Keating is a former CTA director.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Action K-9 Security previously said, "Action K-9 Security is a family owned and operated business that has proudly served Chicago for nearly 40 years."
"Our Director of Security James Keating is a public transit expert that we are proud to have on our team," the statement read in part. "Daily, our dedicated security officers place their own personal safety on the line so that the neighborhoods, businesses, and public spaces of Chicago can be safer."
With regards to complaints attributed to Action K-9 Security, a spokesperson said the company believes, "various complaints were produced that were incorrectly attributed to Action K-9 rather than other private security agencies, and that many if not all of those that may have been affiliated with Action K-9 were unfounded after a thorough investigation."
Several agencies, including the Cook County Sheriff's Office, are currently evaluating the role of private security contractors on public transit in the city when it comes to improving CTA safety.
In response to the Red Line fight video, Kushner said, "It's terrible that this happened, number one. Number two, it seems like a tremendous waste of money on the part of the CTA."
"If the dog is muzzled and is just standing there, he's not a deterrent," Kushner said. "You might as well have a plush toy out there on the platform."
