Friday, June 29, 2012

Analysis reveals hot spots for CTA-related crimes

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If you want to see the full graphics which also includes points where the most crime is committed on the CTA bus system please click here! I was alerted to this graphic and an article about crime on CTA by a reader. This is another question to ask at the Greater Chatham Alliance's Q & A with Garry McCarthy coming this Saturday at St. Mark United Methodist Church.

Our neighborhood L stops represent 3 of the top 5 crime hotspots on the CTA L system. 95th is second followed by 69th at third and finally 79th at fourth. 87th Street according this article is listed at 10th. Here's more from a CTA customer who has to get on the train at 79th:
Mansu, a 62-year-old Morgan Park resident who did not want to give his last name, said he knew the 79th Street Red Line station that he uses is a trouble spot, although he didn't know it ranked No. 4 for crime in the Tribune analysis.

"I'm a senior, so they naturally prey on the elderly," said Mansu, who walks with the help of a cane and is ready to use it for self-defense, he added.

"I don't know whether anybody is watching all these cameras. And you cannot rely on a cop being on every corner," he said. "What has served me well is being observant and not being easily intimidated."
Another fact provided in another article:
The dynamics of riding public transit have changed. Not long ago, the most valuable items CTA riders carried onto buses and trains were backpacks and briefcases. Today many riders don't think twice about carrying a $600 phone onto the transit system and using it freely. Such confidence is good, according to police.

"That is a huge part of driving down the numbers of crimes" in recent months, said Capt. Thomas Lemmer, executive officer of the Police Department's public transportation section. "You want the community to be both safe in reality and to believe they are safe, because both feed off each other."

Meanwhile, despite many riders' belief that there is safety in numbers, most crimes on or near CTA property actually occur during the evening rush period when most commuters are riding the system, according to crime and ridership data.

But you're more likely as an individual to be a victim of CTA-related crime between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. During those hours, the crime rate is the highest in proportion to total riders. In fact, 2 a.m. is the most dangerous time to be on the CTA, coinciding with fewer police officers on patrol, the analysis found. 
What can be done to make CTA much safer in the future?

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