Say good bye to the UP Police Department and the remaining Special Agents. Department is going to be disbanded and replaced with contract security.
23 replies (most recent on top)
This is true and happening soon. Petty issues can be handled by contract security in yards, and local police. Larger investigations handled by feds. Currently railroad police simply serve as middle men that don’t do anything. Pre-COVID railroad cop: sit at home answer phone with response I am nowhere near there send the locals
COVID- railroad cop sits at home
Post COVID- (see pre-COVID)
What a waste. PSR them out.
Section 1704 of the U.S. Crime Control Act of 1990, provides that: "A railroad police officer who is certified or commissioned as a police officer under the laws of any one state shall, in accordance with the regulations issued by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, be authorized to enforce the laws of any other state in which the rail carrier owns property." They are part of the FBI joint terrorism task force. The status of railroad police officers varies by state, in that they are commissioned by the governor of the state in which they reside and/or work in and they may carry both state level arrest powers and some interstate arrest powers as allowed by 49 USC 28101
They are unique in that a non govermental, private railroad hires agents. Special Agents for the RR have federal and state authority and jurisdiction yet they are privately owned and operated. This type of authority does not exist for any other private industry. The railroad will never give up this power, and most likely railroads will increase law enforcement resources and agents when global economic conditions change.
I can't think of any decent cop that would post such a vague message. If you are privileged to some sort of information that is factual, please include some supporting evidence to your claim. If not, your just causing more stress to a good group of agents that have been through enough already. Be considerate of your audience. A large majority of your field Special Agents are military veterans, and/or sought out from law enforcement agencies because of their exemplary service. Many made the railroad transition after working years on the street doing a difficult job that many can't do. They don't need more BS, make this post worth something or leave it alone.
Hire the Renzenberger drivers to do extra patrol duties. They are already doing the former clerk jobs
Time for Top Flight Security of the world CraiG!!!
Will the UP police escort themselves out?
I was out with a track inspector in TX when we found a bunch of transients living in culverts. Called UPRR police and was told there was nothing they could do to help us clear them. Had the same thing happen in CA.
I never understood the point of UP having their own police force if all they ever did was answer the phone and tell they couldn't help you.
I’ve seen trespassers drive through the yard and try to cross over the tracks with no crossing and get their truck stuck on the main rail looking like a MOW vehicle lol. Shut down trains for miles around. Got them unstuck and police said have a nice day don’t drive on the tracks anymore lol. If UP doesn’t care enough to do anything about it then it’s not worth anyone else sweating over it. They got plenty of lawyers if they want to do something.
Local police don't care about up why would you want to fill out all the paperwork for trespassing or at the worst if they vandalized something. My motto was get transiants on the first train to omaha
There is no UP policeman driving 100 miles to remove someone from a train. That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. By that time they would have most likely gotten off but if not the city police would have removed them.
Where did you get your information?
To the anti police comments. You are usually the big burly biker wanna be who won’t even approach someone on a train, so we and me personally will drive sometimes 100 miles or more to remove the individual and the train gets delayed for hours. I don’t know what job you have but I’m sure it doesn’t take much training or education. CTC taking over so train crews will be cut. We’re all in the same boat - a sinking one with no captain at the helm.
As someone alluded to, the UP police were already spread so thin unless you were in a major terminal you never saw them. We had a major incident at an outlying location one time and the local police were called. I called my boss and he said UP wanted to press charges. The local police didn’t want to fill out the paperwork and were going to let the guy go. I said well hang on let’s talk to a UP policeman before we just let him go because I was told UP wanted to press charges. Talked to UP policeman on phone and he basically said he wasn’t driving two hours to come down there and whatever the local police wanted to do that was fine by him.
Basically 99% of stuff that happens on UP property the local police just escort them off the property and tell them don’t do that again.
I always listened for broke down trains in the mountains and did whatever I could to help the crews. Several times this meant saving them a mile and a a half walk through bear and cougar country on steep ballast in the dark by driving them to the rear DP Units. If they were stopped for a long time I would drive one of them to get food. They always appreciated it. Never heard of anyone arrested for an accident or switch issues. Miss my train crews and yard guys, but not the homeless or the countless fatalities. Lucky to already have a full City PD retirement when UP laid me off.
The arrest you for fender benders and running thru switches? Damn, The newest maps system sounds intense.🥴
Fake news. Not true at all. Also for the anti UP Police people out there, good luck when u screw up next time. Whether it’s a fender bender, run thru switch, theft from locker, or my favorite false reporting work place violence because u are a screw up and u make a false report to the local PD. You will actually be arrested for false report.
Van drivers are going to do double duties. We’re going to save millions.
The UP police were already spread so thin throughout the system that they were basically invisible anyway. As a matter of fact, I can't think of anything they ever did other than answer phone calls and escort furloughed employees off UP property.
How sad! Another group of talented loyal employees dumped. But I know we will all feel safe with the contracted services aka low bidder.
Hahaha. I bet they’re wishing they didn’t escort all of those furloughed employees off now. If your union isn’t willing to go to jail then kiss it good bye! Next stop grand central no pension station!
Oh no. I guess we won’t have anyone to notify the real police force for us anymore. Well just have to call them ourselves.
Here we go again!! Bring on the contractors! They are cheap they said, they will save us money they said....Then UP will realize they get what they pay for once again and start hiring people as actual employees again. Honestly, why can we not learn from past mistakes and move forward. This company takes two steps back every time another decision is made! Wake up and look at our history!!!
Can anybody saw blackwater