Don Tracy: Chicago’s Transit Crime Crisis Demands Federal-Local Cooperation
SPRINGFIELD – Chicago’s streets and transit systems are in crisis. In May, a 20-year-old woman was robbed at gunpoint on a CTA Green Line train near Conservatory-Central Park Drive station, with a hearing scheduled for the suspect today. On Tuesday, a 16-year-old boy was fatally shot in broad daylight on a West Garfield Park sidewalk, with no arrests yet. These tragedies reflect a city in crisis.
CTA violent crime has surged to near-decade highs, with 2,893 incidents reported in the year ending July 2025, nearly double the total from a decade ago. Crime rates hit 2.7 per 100,000 rides, with murders, batteries, and thefts soaring.
The federal government has offered assistance. The CTA has been awarded federal counterterrorism grants funded by FEMA, which are used by mass transit agencies around the country to fund security and counterterrorism measures. However, CTA is so far refusing those grants over the potential that they may require cooperation with federal law enforcement. The CTA is leaving $15.7 million in federal money on the table while crime continues to plague the transit system.
U.S. Senate Candidate Don Tracy voiced his frustration:
"These incidents, including armed robberies, homicides, and assaults on vulnerable people, highlight a disturbing pattern of crime plaguing the city's transit systems and neighborhoods. Chicago cannot tolerate this escalation. Every victim should be a call to action.
“Enough is enough. Governor Pritzker and Mayor Johnson need to stop posturing and start working with federal law enforcement to make our communities safe. These tragedies demand a unified response. Their refusal to fully engage federal resources is leaving our streets, trains, and buses unsafe. The time for excuses is over.“
Don is available for video and phone interviews on this topic, with some availability for in-studio discussions.
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About Don Tracy:
Don Tracy is a community leader from Central Illinois who has spent his career fighting for small businesses and working families. An attorney for nearly 50 years, Don is Senior Counsel at Brown, Hay & Stephens, the oldest law firm in Illinois. He has served in a number of public service positions, including Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, Chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board, Secretary of the Illinois Bar Foundation, and President of the Abraham Lincoln Association. Born and raised in Mount Sterling in Western Illinois, Don and his wife, Wanda, raised their 4 children and 8 grandchildren in Springfield.
About Don Tracy:
Don is Senior Counsel at Brown, Hay & Stephens, the oldest law firm in Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln famously practiced law for four years. Public service is important to Don, with a lifetime spent in community service, most often in volunteer positions. He has served as Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, Chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board, Secretary of the Illinois Bar Foundation, President of the Sangamon County Bar Association, Chairman of the Illinois Corporate Acts Advisory Committee, and President of the Abraham Lincoln Association, President of the Oak Ridge Cemetery Board, among other community leadership positions. Born in Urbana, raised in Mt. Sterling in Western Illinois, and having raised his own family in Springfield in Central Illinois, Don has deep ties to "downstate Illinois." As the oldest of 12 children, family has always been important to Don.