Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,
An ultimatum issued by the Trump administration has pushed the Chicago Transit Authority to unveil a beefed-up security plan, threatening to yank federal funding unless the agency tackles the rampant crime plaguing its trains and buses.
This move comes after a string of brutal attacks exposed the failures of soft-on-crime policies in the Windy City.
The CTA submitted its Revised Security Enhancement Plan to the Federal Transit Administration, detailing a “75 percent increase in monthly system policing hours, aggressive crime reduction targets, and expanded social service support,” according to an official agency statement.
Elements include more patrols from Chicago Police and Cook County Sheriff’s deputies, expanded mental health outreach to connect individuals with housing and services, and tighter collaboration with prosecutors for tougher handling of transit-related crimes.
“The plan is CTA’s formal response to an FTA Special Directive issued in December,” the agency noted, highlighting early signs that recent strategies are curbing crime.
This overhaul follows the FTA’s rejection of an earlier CTA submission, with the Trump administration giving the agency until March 19 to deliver or risk losing up to $50 million in funds.
The push stems from high-profile horrors like the November 18 attack where Lawrence Reed, a career criminal with 72 prior arrests, allegedly doused a young woman with gasoline and set her ablaze on a Blue Line train.
That case and many like it have exposed how Democrat leniency under figures like DA Kim Foxx kept predators like Reed on the streets.
The atrocity, captured on surveillance, left the victim with severe burns and sparked national outrage over Chicago’s catch-and-release system.
But it’s part of a broader surge in violence tied to repeat offenders and unchecked illegal immigration in blue cities.
And in Virginia, an illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone with 30 prior arrests, including rape and assault, fatally stabbed mother Stephanie Minter at a bus stop.
These cases echo the same systemic failures: leftist prosecutors and sanctuary policies recycling dangerous criminals back into communities, turning public transit into danger zones.
In Charlotte, Decarlos Brown Jr. with 14 arrests knifed Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska to death on light rail. In Seattle, a repeat offender blinded a 75-year-old woman. Even a schizophrenic cannibal axe murderer got early release in Connecticut.
Trump’s team isn’t playing games. The FTA directive, backed by complaints from riders and threats from the administration, demands real accountability.
“CTA officials said the new security plan will include a 34% increase in policing hours from the Chicago Police Department Public Transit Section,” per CBS News, alongside plans for high-barrier fare gates to curb evasion.
The agency also points to “bolstered by early data showing that crime reduction strategies implemented over the past three months are working.”
Riders have long decried the violence, with assaults up 50% post-defund era, per CPD stats. Chicago’s murder tally topped 600 last year, driving a 7% population drop since 2020 as families flee the mayhem.
This security pivot under Trump pressure marks a shift from Democrat excuses to enforcement—prioritizing safety over coddling criminals.
With the FTA set to review the plan, Chicago’s transit could finally become safer, proving that tougher leadership gets results where progressive pandering fails.
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