Inside the Cook County Sheriff's Office's CTA public safety patrols, which are already seeing results

The Cook County Sheriff's Office has been a part of Illinois' enhanced CTA security plan and state-led task force dedicated to making it safe since the end of March.  Their officers have worked more than 4,000 hours a month.

CBS News Chicago Investigators recently rode along with one of the shifts of sheriff's officers to see how those hours are making the difference for Chicagoans using public transportation.

The sheriff's office said between the start of the Mass Transit Initiative on March 27 through June 22, the most recent available data, approximately 50 sworn officers have worked 12 hour shifts each day. They've made 225 arrests, including 74 of people already wanted by law enforcement, found 10 missing people, brought in 10 sex offenders who had failed to register, and recovered 23 weapons, the sheriff's office said.

Body worn cameras caught one of those arrests at the 79th Street CTA Red Line station, in which sheriff's officers saw a man smoking marijuana on the train and, in the process of taking him into custody for disorderly conduct, found a gun on him.

It turned out the man had a criminal history, which included possession of a firearm by a repeat felony offender, felon in possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon on public transportation.

The CTA system can be difficult to police. It has 145 stations and more than 220 miles of track.

"We'd go on the train and even though everyone is in uniform, people are sitting there smoking, listening to loud music, going back and forth between cars," said Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. "That had just gotten to be normalized."

Sheriff's Police have also issued more than 1,500 warnings for ordinance violation offenses like smoking, loud music, passing through the emergency doors between cars, open alcohol containers and drinking, Dart's office said.

"Once folks realized there are rules, they're going to be enforced, people change behaviors," he said.

But with crime plaguing the system and ridership dropping off after the COVID-19 pandemic, Dart acknowledged they face a significant challenge. He said the sheriff's office had already started this work when the Federal Transit Administration threatened to pull CTA funding if the agency didn't submit a stronger safety plan.

"We can look at the federal government, frankly, without batting an eyelash, in complete honesty, and say look we get it there are problems here. We need to do better, and we actually have something in place already," said Dart.

The Cook County Sheriff's Office is also working to address overall uneasiness from riders, and people who have said they stopped taking the train because they felt unsafe.

"There's an overall sense of people who did not feel safe. Who did not feel they were in a clean environment on a regular basis and that was true," Dart said. "We get it, and we are working on it." 

Another issue that has plagued CTA for years is the struggle to keep violent repeat offenders off the transit system. Sheriff Dart said there wasn't a real process in place when they started their work, but now it's at the top of the list.

"More of, this was not being enforced at all and there was no mechanism to do it," he explained. "Give us a little bit of time. We are making some strides now. They are all positive. It's a large unit and system. Give us a little bit of time; you weren't wrong, it's up to us to step up and fix it. That's what government is supposed to do."

The sheriff's department is also working closely with the Chicago Police Department; Sheriff Dart said their teams coordinate with CPD officers daily.

Along with criminal enforcement, the sheriff's department takes a role with social services and revenue as well. The sheriff's office said their mental health and substance use disorder team has helped more than 115 people experiencing mental health or substance use disorders, and more than 100 unhoused people, either providing them with food and water, hygiene packs, clothing, cell phones and housing information, or taking them to shelters or a hospital for treatment.

Sheriff's officers have also worked to stop fare evaders, saying they've seen an 85% reduction on the Red Line where they're working since they began their patrols. They said addressing fare evasion has been "instrumental in reducing violent crime," pointing to a 77% reduction in violent crime on the CTA in May 2026 compared to May 2025, and a 50% reduction of all crime during the same period.

So far, the sheriff's office said they have spent $3.1 million on this initiative as of June 22.