Burlington Northern RailRoad has a police dept

[OutHouse]

the past couple of days i have seen a cop car with Burlington Northern police markings. I had no idea that Burlington had a "police" dept so i googled it and found this.

I find it odd that a private company has a police dept and has police authority on the local, state and federal levels. shouldnt private companies have security guards?

http://www.bnsf.com/tools/resourceprotection/police_services.html

The Police Solutions Team is the law enforcement division of the Resource Protection Solutions Team. Railroad police are provided police authority from State and Local governments and are authorized interstate authority by the Federal government. Our community is best described as being 34,000 miles long and 100 feet wide, crisscrossing hundreds of local and state jurisdictions along the way. Railroad police are active in all forms of police duties and at BNSF police analyze statistical data to discover crime trends, use K-9 units and proactive uniformed patrol to combat trespass and cargo thefts, and actively participate with other police agencies to investigate crimes committed on railroad property.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: Citrix
the past couple of days i have seen a cop car with Burlington Northern police markings. I had no idea that Burlington had a "police" dept so i googled it and found this.

I find it odd that a private company has a police dept and has police authority on the local, state and federal levels. shouldnt private companies have security guards?

http://www.bnsf.com/tools/resourceprotection/police_services.html

The Police Solutions Team is the law enforcement division of the Resource Protection Solutions Team. Railroad police are provided police authority from State and Local governments and are authorized interstate authority by the Federal government. Our community is best described as being 34,000 miles long and 100 feet wide, crisscrossing hundreds of local and state jurisdictions along the way. Railroad police are active in all forms of police duties and at BNSF police analyze statistical data to discover crime trends, use K-9 units and proactive uniformed patrol to combat trespass and cargo thefts, and actively participate with other police agencies to investigate crimes committed on railroad property.

Railroads have always had something like this since the late 1800's. Originally their basic function was to kick bums off of the freight trains and railroad right of ways.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

this was how the Pinkerton Agency was started...

 

[sixone]

It would certainly simplify questions of jurisdiction. And I bet it's more cost efficient than the TSA.

 

[Kwaipie]

A close friend of mine is a Union Pacific yard manager, he says his UP Police catch kids stealing trains a few times a month.

 

[sao123]

naerly all major railroads have their own police dept.
CSX included.

 

[judasmachine]

we call them SUVs.

 

[Jawo]

They are just trying to protect thier property (their right). I bet the BNRR officers had training that was similar to what regular police officers receive.

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: judasmachine
we call them SUVs.

you call cars SUV's? why would you do that?

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: Jawo
They are just trying to protect thier property (their right). I bet the BNRR officers had training that was similar to what regular police officers receive.

yes i totally understand that. just like IBM, Microsoft, a mall has the right but they have security guards. BN is a private company i just dont understand how they can have a POLICE dept and have the same law enforcement powers as your city and state cop.

 

[BoomerD]

From everyone's favorite source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railroad_police_(U.S.)

"Railroad police officers are certified law enforcement officers and carry full police and arrest powers. The appointment, commissioning and regulation of railroad police under 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."