CTA terminates unarmed guard contract, sparking backlash from some lawmakers

The Chicago Transit Authority abruptly canceled a contract with Monterrey Security last week, removing its unarmed guards from CTA property.

According to reporting from NBC Chicago, Monterrey was given word Friday night that 250 of its full-time guards should stop working immediately, a move that stunned the company since it had just reached a one-year contract extension with the CTA several weeks prior.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the CTA argued it had authority to cancel the contract if there was no funding for the personnel, and the agency defended its decision in a statement Tuesday.

“The CTA is strategically strengthening system security by expanding police presence, K-9 units, and crisis response initiatives,” a spokesperson said. “Funding previously allocated to unarmed security guards will instead be directed to sworn officers, specially trained professionals and other security resources who are better equipped to help keep riders and staff safe.”

In late December, the federal government repeated its threats to withhold up to $50 million in funding from the CTA if it did not come up with an improved security plan in the wake of several high-profile attacks on the agency’s property.

The CTA’s safety plan doesn’t do enough to protect transit workers, the Federal Transit Administration said, and as a result, it’s s threatening to pull funding. Jenn Schanz reports.

The Federal Transit Administration blasted a proposed CTA security plan as inadequate in the aftermath of a November attack in which a 26-year-old woman was set on fire by a passenger on the CTA Blue Line.

“This ‘plan’ fails to measurably reduce incidents of assaults and improve overall safety on buses and trains. If people’s safety is at risk, so are federal funds. CTA must act to save lives and improve safety,” said FTA Administrator Marc Molinaro.

The decision to terminate the contract with Monterrey has drawn the scrutiny of the Chicago Aldermanic Black Caucus, which said it was “profoundly disappointed” by the move.

“The abruptness of this decision—delivered with no notice and no clear plan of action—is a betrayal of the city’s commitment to equity,” CABC leader Ald. Stephanie Coleman said in a statement. “By terminating these services, the CTA is effectively putting over 70 African American security officers out of work with less than a week’s notice. These are men and women from our wards who have provided essential public safety services, often in the most challenging environments.”

The organization is calling for a meeting with CTA leadership and representatives from Monterrey to discuss the issue, and to potentially develop a job transition strategy for those workers impacted.