The Chicago Transit Authority abruptly pulled the plug on its contract with Monterrey Security Consultants on Monday, April 20, 2026, ordering the firm to halt its unarmed-guard posts across the system. The move affects roughly 250 full-time guards and staff who had been working posted shifts at stations and on trains. CTA officials say the cash that had been going to private guards will now be funneled into sworn officers, K-9 teams, and crisis-response professionals as part of a broader security overhaul.
CTA Confirmation And The Letter To Monterrey
The agency confirmed the termination in a letter from Kevin Ryan, the CTA’s vice president of security, who wrote that funds set aside for the private-guard contract had been exhausted and cited a contract clause that lets the CTA cancel under those conditions, according to the Chicago Tribune. Ryan instructed Monterrey to stop all guard duties and limit its work to an orderly wind-down, according to the notice.
Company And Union Reaction
Monterrey Security said it received the notice “shortly after 6 p.m. Friday” and called the decision “devastating” for the company, an owner told reporters, according to the Chicago Tribune. The firm said the contract covered roughly 250 full-time employees and that subcontractors, including Kates Detective & Security and Rush Solutions, also had staff who would now be affected.
How The Private-Guard Program Began
The CTA first brought in Monterrey and Inter-Con in 2022 under an ordinance authorizing up to $71 million for unarmed guard services, and the agency signed off on another $26 million in 2024 to expand guard deployments, per the CTA. The agency’s documents lay out the request-for-proposals terms and the rules for adding shifts covering overnight trains, unstaffed stations, and extra patrol missions.
Federal Pressure And The Security Surge
The cancellation arrives after months of federal pressure. The Federal Transit Administration warned in December that it could withhold up to $50 million unless the CTA produced a more robust security blueprint, according to a letter from the agency. The FTA pushed for the overhaul following a run of high-profile incidents on the system.
Local coverage and CTA briefings describe the resulting “security surge” as a plan that significantly hikes policing hours and expands K-9 and crisis-response teams, with reporting indicating policing hours would increase by roughly 75 percent. WTTW reported on the plan and the projected jump in police presence.
Workers, Payments, and What Comes Next
Public vendor payment records show the city paid Monterrey as recently as January 28, 2026, underscoring how suddenly the CTA pulled the contract. City of Chicago records list a January 28 voucher for $58,674.34. Union representatives say many of the affected guards are SEIU Local 1 members and will now seek answers about layoffs, reassignments, and benefits. The CTA instructed Monterrey to limit its remaining activity to whatever is needed for an orderly shutdown of operations.
The shakeup will change who riders see on trains and platforms while the CTA and labor leaders hash out next steps. In the short term, riders can expect more uniformed officers and K-9 patrols on the system, even as the transit board faces renewed questions over how to balance immediate enforcement with longer-term, non-police approaches to safety.
