Fri Sep 13 19:56:00 UTC 2024: ## CTA Workers Demand Action After String of Violent Incidents on Chicago Trains

**CHICAGO (The Center Square)** – Following a recent spike in violent incidents on Chicago’s CTA rail system, including a fatal shooting on the Blue Line that left four people dead, calls for increased security are growing louder.

Activist Tio Hardiman, a long-time advocate for peace and violence prevention, has urged CTA workers to unite and demand immediate action from management to ensure their safety. Hardiman, whose organization “Violence Interrupters” has a proven track record in reducing violence, offered his services to CTA to help curb violence on trains.

“CTA workers should organize and meet with the CTA president, demanding an end to the violence,” Hardiman stated. “They should make it clear that if security measures aren’t implemented, they will strike.”

The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 308, representing CTA workers, has echoed these concerns, stating that workers are increasingly fearful for their safety and have already discussed implementing additional security measures with management, including the possibility of deploying security officers with arrest powers.

CTA officials have responded to the growing concerns by deploying a new gun detection technology called “Zero Eyes” in a pilot program at approximately 250 of their 33,000 cameras. The technology alerts CTA security and Chicago Police Department (CPD) when a gun is detected on train platforms.

Despite the introduction of this technology, the recent incidents have shaken both workers and riders, prompting calls for a comprehensive approach to address the root causes of violence on the CTA system.

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