* Tribune…

President Donald Trump’s administration has issued a blistering order for the city and state to come up with a safety plan to boost police on the CTA and take other steps or once again risk vital federal funding.

In letters Monday to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Trump’s Federal Transit Administrator Marc Molinaro threatened to withhold funds if the CTA does not comply with the demands of a “special directive” issued by the feds by the start of next week.

The renewed federal order comes after last month’s gruesome attack on 26-year-old Bethany MaGee on the CTA’s Blue Line in downtown Chicago.

The Trump administration once again invoked MaGee, who was doused with gasoline and lit on fire while riding the train in an apparently random attack, in unveiling its Monday directive.

* NBC 5…

According to a statement from the Federal Transit Administration, officials are considering withholding federal funding for the CTA if actions are not taken to improve the safety of riders and employees. […]

The letter argued that the National Transit Database has data showing that assaults on transit workers on CTA property have exceeded the national average for the last 10 years, and that assaults against CTA customers have increased by 150% in the last five years.

A Special Directive was issued ordering the CTA to update its safety plans, and to implement mitigations to address the crimes.

The letter gave the CTA just over a week to formulate and implement a security enhancement plan.

* One reason why the mass transit bill will cost so much is the security provision. From the bill…

Sec. 2.11.05. NITA Law Enforcement Task Force.

(a) The Cook County Sheriff shall establish a multijurisdictional NITA Law Enforcement Task Force led by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office in cooperation with the Chicago Police Department, the Metra Police, the Illinois State Police, the sheriff’s offices of other counties in the metropolitan region, and other municipal police departments in the metropolitan region. Law enforcement agencies within the metropolitan region not explicitly named in this subsection may participate on the Task Force upon request of the Cook County Sheriff.

(b) The Task Force shall be created under an intergovernmental agreement and be dedicated to combating violent and other types of crime with the primary mission of preservation of life and reducing the occurrence and the fear of crime on the public transit system of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority. The objectives of the Task Force shall include, but shall not be limited to, reducing and preventing violent crimes and other illegal activities. The Task Force shall also assist and coordinate with the Chief Transit Safety Officer in the Chief Transit Safety Officer’s efforts to enforce the Authority’s and Service Boards’ codes of conduct and to solve quality of life issues for transit riders and staff.

(c) The Task Force may develop and acquire information, training, tools, and resources necessary to implement a data-driven approach to policing, with an emphasis on: (1) preventing violent crime in known hotspots, property crime, and code of conduct violations that are crimes; and (2) identifying and arresting persons accused of violent crime. […]

g) The Task Force shall engage in violence suppression strategies, including, but not limited to, details in identified locations that have shown to be the most prone to gun violence and violent crime, focused deterrence against violent gangs and groups considered responsible for the violence in the transit system, and other intelligence driven methods deemed necessary to implement the Task Force’s objectives. […]

(j) The Chicago Police Department shall use any resources provided for participation in the Task Force to supplement, not supplant, existing force strength currently assigned to the Mass Transit Unit within the Chicago Police Department. […]

(m) Within 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly, the Task Force shall prepare a report of recommendations for ongoing law enforcement strategies, tactics, and best practices for the Northern Illinois Transit Authority transit system. […]

Sec. 2.11.10. Vote on sworn officer crime prevention program.

(a) Within 1 year after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly, the Authority shall vote to implement a sworn law enforcement officer crime prevention program on public transportation and a crime prevention plan to protect public transportation employees and riders in the metropolitan region.

Lots more in the bill. It starts on page 169 and runs through page 189.

Included are mandated “bus shields” that protect drivers.

Granted, this is all down the road (or tracks, as the case may be), and can’t be rolled out in a week, which doesn’t seem like a very effective way to do anything anyway. But a plan is in place. Transit union leaders made security a firm demand. No security language, no labor support. And they appear pleased with the results. From the Amalgamated Transit Union…

“We could not be prouder of our members, our Locals, and every front-line worker who leafleted, talked with riders, wrote the letter to legislators, and worked shoulder-to-shoulder with community and labor allies,” said ATU International President John Costa. “Because you showed up at the State Capitol, on the platforms, in the bus yards and train stations, we now have legislation that benefits riders, strengthens safety through a dedicated transit police force, and protects the jobs, wages, and benefits of our ATU members. We thank the Illinois Legislature for passing this bill and delivering for working families and transit riders alike.”

Dot points on the bill are here.

* Gov. Pritzker was asked about the federal demands today…

This is the federal government threatening state and local government with taking away federal funds for a purpose that they’re not allowed to. But we’ve seen that before from Donald Trump, breaking the law.

And let me just say that you all saw that the legislature took monumental and very important action to protect our transit system and indeed the security of the people in the transit system. That’s part of the legislation that was just passed in the veto session.

And so there’s no reason why the President the United States or the Department of Transportation should be sending a threatening letter to the state when they know full well, if they jeez, if they read anything and read the newspapers, they would know that that action has been taken is being taken. We want the safest possible and most modern transit system in the entire country, and that’s what we’re prepared to implement.

Discuss.