Chicago police are leveraging additional tools and staffing resources inside of a high-tech CTA support center, giving them new tools to fight crime on trains and buses.
On one wall, officers are able to view a series of monitors showing various CTA surveillance cameras. On another, technicians steer city pod cameras to get a better view of a potential crime scene.
In a row behind them, supervisors and detectives watch looking for patterns and trends.
Combined, this is the newest Strategic Decision Support Center (SDSC) for the Chicago Police Transit Division, and it could change the way the police and the transit agency fight crime.
“This is important because when crime occurs on CTA, we get to see it real time. Having these detectives embedded gives the, a real time view of everything that’s happening on CTA,” said CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling.
He toured the facility Thursday with Acting CTA President Nora Leershen.
“It’s a huge asset to have the detectives here in real time to respond immediately and gather information and it really amplifies the massive investment that the CTA has made in our cameras,” she said.
The idea of SDSC’s is not new. Chicago Police have been leveraging camera technology in the districts for years. When is new is the inclusion of detectives in the room with the trained officers.
“What we are talking about with this room is supporting our officers getting out to locations in a quicker fashion,” said CPD’s Chief of Detectives Antoinette Ursitti.
Although transit agency crime is up only slightly from last year, the perception among riders is that public transit is not safe.
“You definitely have to be more cautious at night. From stabbings to shootings…especially heading north into the downtown area,” said one CTA rider.
Combatting that sentiment is going to be important for CPD, and Snelling says there is an additional benefit to the SDSC’s. “
What we do is we get intel…or we follow patterns. And there are times we have seen patterns on the CTA,” Snelling said.
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