CHICAGO (WLS) — Friday’s goal for the group was to make sure their presence was felt, going to each railcar and reassuring passengers they were there solely for their safety.
“By the time police get called, somebody’s already been hurt,” said Tio Hardiman of Violence Interrupters. “My staff are trained in de-escalating situations, so if we see somebody that wants to assault somebody, we are just going to intervene.”
They hopped on board the Red Line with one destination in mind: getting to a point where crime on the train is stopped.
“We understand how to go into a situation and neutralize it. Not only that, we have military training. I have airborne rangers here. I have a Navy Seal,” said Andre “Tank” Hart, a volunteer.
Those teams of unarmed volunteer security officers and martial artists quickly maneuvered from one railcar to the next, making their presence felt.