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“Since 2017, my call has been for extra security, a presence on
the transit system,” Hill told The Center Square. “From a worker
standpoint, the workers need to feel safe. When a person rides
the system, they should feel safe getting from point A to point
B.”
As head of Amalgamated Transit Union 241, Hill said he envisions
the plan being similar to the one recently put in place earlier
this month by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, where teams of guard
members are stationed at different locations across the city,
conducting bag checks for weapons as part of their security
detail.
“We have a world class transit system, and the only way people
are going to realize that is if they feel safe enough to take
this,” Hill said while stressing that the added security would
be in addition to the teams of mass transit officers and private
security guards already in place to provide security.
“The situation and circumstances have gotten worse over the last
year,” he said. “The crimes that we're seeing on the system, we
didn't see before COVID. We didn't see this many weapons being
brought on the system. We didn't see people being robbed.”
Hill adds he would also like to see Chicago Mayor Brando Johnson
and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker become more involved in helping
passengers to feel safe.
“The only way you're going to understand the problem is to have
us educate you on what the problem is, how to address the
problem,” he said. “You can't go into a fight not knowing what
you're fighting.”
While not advocating for over-policing, Hill said there needs to
be a focus on public safety.
“I’m just calling for a presence,” Hill said. “They could be
calling for this presence throughout the city. Because right now
the city is dealing with a very bad rash of crime.”
Witnesses on the No. 70 bus in Humboldt Park told police the
53-year-old victim was waving a knife at another person when the
unknown gunmen opened fire before quickly fleeing the scene.
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