By Kin Janssen
Chicago Sun-Times
They helped snare the alleged Indian Head Park murderer, two other accused killers and 44 other suspects since June.
Now the 1,800 extra security cameras Mayor Rahm Emanuel this summer vowed to install at CTA rail stations are all in place - six weeks ahead of schedule, the mayor announced Monday as he gave his administration a big pat on the back.
“The cameras have caught criminals but also serve as a deterrent, helping to ensure the highest level of security for our transit system,” Emanuel said at a press conference held at the Clinton Green Line station, describing the cameras as the latest step in upgrading an L system that recently received new trains.
Cameras installed at the station late last month provided evidence that led to the Nov. 2 arrest of a man suspected of a series of violent robberies on CTA property and the city streets, officials said. The robber was caught on camera using stolen credit cards to buy tickets following a mace attack on a CTA worker on Oct. 28 and an Oct. 14 car break-in.
Emanuel also pointed to how the camera network - which now has more than 3,000 cameras across all 144 stations - had helped police get a good look at John L. Wilson, accused of the Oct. 27 murder of west suburban teen Kelli O’Laughlin.
He acknowledged that it may take time for the cameras to make passengers feel safer, but highlighted the case of a rider who scared off a broken-bottle-wielding would-be robber at the UIC Halsted station on Nov. 7 by pointing to a platform camera.
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