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CTA Adding Upgraded Cameras To Buses

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The CTA is putting more security cameras into nearly a quarter of its buses.

The transit agency has had security cameras aboard all of its buses for more than a decade. Current buses have between 7 and 12 cameras each.

CTA President Dorval Carter said Wednesday upgrades to 470 buses will include higher-resolution cameras, and new hard drives with bigger video storage capacity; but what's amazing are the areas that need closer scrutiny, from the CTA's perspective: the entrance, the farebox, and the driver's position.

Carter said aiming cameras at those spots is necessary to "drive crime down on CTA and also to provide us with the tools that if something does happen that is unfortunate on our buses we are able to identify those perpetrators and take appropriate action."

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The CTA recently published statistics indicating that overall crime aboard its buses and trains, and at 'L' stations, is on a downward swing.

Installation of the new and upgraded equipment will begin this summer. The agency has options to equip another 670 buses with more and newer once that work is done.

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