Cook County Sheriff’s Police find 80-90% fare evasion on some CTA lines

CHICAGO (WGN) — Cook County Sheriff’s Police have spent the last three months patrolling CTA trains and platforms, the result of a state legislature mandate to assess what’s really happening on Chicago’s rail system.

This week, WGN Investigates rode along to see the findings firsthand.

In 90 days of patrols, Sheriff’s police made more than 220 arrests. Among those stopped:

  • 74 were wanted by law enforcement
  • 23 weapons were recovered
  • 10 were identified as missing persons
  • 10 were registered sex offenders

Meanwhile, WGN Investigates analyzed Chicago’s city data portal independently. Police reports tied to CTA incidents fell from 2,036 in the first half of 2025 to 1,742 so far this year — nearly 300 fewer reports in the same time frame…

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