AI Frontier Institute

CTA POLICE DEPARTMENT

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Illinois SB4070, introduced February 24, 2026 by Sen. Willie Preston, amends the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act by adding Section 27b (70 ILCS 3605/27b) to require the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to establish a dedicated CTA Transit Police Department composed solely of sworn law-enforcement officers, who would exclusively perform all security functions. The bill mandates deployment of 3-officer safety teams moving continuously through trains, stations, and buses, with priority given to high-crime locations. It also requires the CTA to implement two AI-related pilot programs: (1) an AI-based weapon-detection scanner pilot deployed at between 5 and 10 high-crime stations and major bus hubs, and (2) a limited facial recognition pilot program restricted to identifying individuals with active violent-felony warrants or persons the Authority has banned from its services. The bill's findings note that the CTA currently uses AI-assisted gun-detecting camera software deemed primarily reactive and insufficient as a standalone prevention measure. The bill takes effect immediately upon becoming law.

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