A woman was stabbed in an attack on the CTA Blue Line overnight. The attack came after three CTA workers have been attacked in less than a month, and the head of the CTA’s rail labor union said anxiety and concern among workers has turned to anger.
“I’m angry. I’m really angry right now,” said Pennie McCoach, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 30, which represents the CTA’s rail workers. “It’s a continuing cycle that this is happening to my members, and it’s upsetting.”
In late August, a 70-year-old CTA worker was thrown onto the tracks in an attack at the Grand station on the Blue Line in the West Loop.
Amir Cordova, 23, has been charged with multiple felony counts of aggravated battery in that attack, and on Thursday he pleaded not guilty in court.
McCoach was in court for his arraignment, and said she will be back for all Cordova’s upcoming hearings on behalf of the victim.
“At 70 years old, going through this, it’s a lot. I don’t know if he’s going to return back. I’m not sure,” she said.
Around 1 a.m. last Friday, a CTA worker was attacked on the job on a Yellow Line train in Evanston. Police said a man approached her from behind, grabbed her, and tried to tear off her clothes. When the victim resisted, he threw her to the floor and beat her before running off.
Mekel Gordon, 24, has been charged with aggravated attempted criminal sexual assault and two counts of aggravated battery.
On Tuesday, a 51-year-old CTA worker was pushed onto the tracks at the Washington stop on the Blue Line in the Loop.
Police arrested 42-year-old David Norris, who is charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery.
Data shows overall violent crime is down slightly on the CTA this year, but aggravated batteries are up.
“The workers don’t feel safe. They don’t feel confident that the company has their best interest in hand when it comes to protection,” McCoach said. “I can’t advocate much harder for some type of transit police.”
While the Chicago Police Department has a mass transit unit, the CTA no longer has its own dedicated transit police force, which was disbanded in 1979.
A CTA spokesperson noted arrests were made in all three of the attacks on workers, and said the CTA is committed to their work with the Chicago Police Department:
“The recent arrest of suspects in nearly all the cited incidents is a testament to the recently expanded Strategic Decision Support Center (SDSC) room and the strong, enduring partnership between CTA and the Chicago Police Department (CPD). We are committed to continuing to work with CPD to leverage all available resources to investigate and quickly apprehend individuals responsible for crimes committed against riders and employees. We also work closely with the Cook County State’s Attorney—who asks for detention each and every time a violent crime takes place on public transit—to ensure those responsible are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”