CTA turns to AI technology that detects guns in train stations in new safety push

[September 06, 2024]  By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributor

(The Center Square) – Chicago Ald. Chris Taliaferro is hopeful that new safety technology now being used by the Chicago Transit Authority that can detect guns on train platforms can make a difference.

Implementation of the so-called Zero Eyes system in select stations comes as CTA officials work to calm the nerves of riders following a grisly shooting aboard a Blue Line train shooting that left four people dead in what authorities have deemed a random attack.

“I welcome the CTA having that type of technology available to them to increase public safety on our public transportation,” Taliaferro told The Center Square. “Any measures that are taken to provide better safety and better security for our riders is good from my perspective.”

The technology works by sending an alert to CTA security and CPD within minutes of a gun being detected via the agency’s existing camera system. As of now, the surveillance is only used on platforms and on about 250 of the agency’s 33,000 cameras, with authorities adding the technology remains in the pilot phase with its ultimate fate still to be determined.

As a former CPD sergeant, Taliaferro insists he has just one overriding concern.

“I think the main concern that I may have is do they have a security force or police availability to be able to respond to a positive hit by that technology in a timely manner,” he said. “If we don't have an ability to respond properly and fast enough the technology becomes a waste. Police presence coupled with the technology can make a big difference, but to what degree are we taking resources away from our districts?

CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. oversees more than 10,000 employees at the Chicago Transit Authority. - Courtesy of CTA

Even with reported crime on CTA trains and rail platforms down by 12% this year compared to the average of the previous three years, riders have continued to voice ongoing concerns about safety.

In the Blue Line shooting, police have charged 30-year-old Rhanni Davis with four counts of first-degree murder, adding at least three of the victims were asleep on the train when he opened fire.

“All of my colleagues and myself, we've all heard complaints about safety and security on our trains and on our buses,” he adds. “If our riders are not safe on our public systems then they're not going to ride, which means a reduction in revenue. If this can be effective, I think it's a win for the city.”

Davis was later taken into custody on a nearby train line, though officials have not said if Zero Eyes played a role in authorities being able to track him down so quickly.

With the number of homeless people hanging out on the tracks on the rise, speculation is rampant that all of the victims may have been unhoused, but officials have not publicly addressed the issue.