Why American railroads have their own police
In the US, railroad police are a thing. Why?
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Sources:
BLS on railroad police: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes333052.htm
Rail track mileage history: https://transportgeography.org/contents/chapter5/rail-transportation-pipelines/rail-track-mileage-united-states/
CSX system map: https://www.csx.com/index.cfm/customers/maps/csx-system-map/
Cool railroad police site: https://www.railroadpolicebadges.com/history
Blurred blue line: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2268&context=law_facpub
Railroad crime article by UP vet: https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/additional-articles/from-the-archives-railroad-crime-old-west-train-robbers-to-modern-day-cargo-thieves
@alec4672
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
So naturally you're doing a video on livestock agents next? They came up the same way, being hired and on the payroll of huge wild west reaches that crossed borders and jurisdictions of pre state territories.
@TheRadioNerd545
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
I was a dispatcher back in the day for a Rural Sheriff's Office in MO. Had a deputy needing backup on a domestic one day. Union Pacific Special Agent piped up on the radio and responded. At least in MO, they have full statewide juridstiction. While that agent was assigned to our area, he routinely backed us on car stops, domestics, etc. We had an excellent working relationship with him and even got an agreement in place to run people and vehicles in NCIC for their traffic stops or calls they were on.
@Tactical5
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
I was so relieved when you said minnesota
@j887276
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
@2:20 Forgot to mention the Pinkertons were hired guns by cooperations to fight against worker unionization & strikes, railroads & steel mills are the most well documented cases but there are many more. The railroad strike that resulted in the federal holiday of "labor day" and the push for workers rights came at a cost. The Pinkertons massacred many workers. Below is a brief summary from Google-
The Pinkertons' role as "hired thugs" for corporations during the late 19th century led to congressional investigations and negative publicity. The 1893 Anti-Pinkerton Act was passed to bar the federal government from hiring the agency or similar private security forces. The violence demonstrated the extreme measures corporations would take to suppress labor organizing.
@landonmcdowell3474
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
I ran across your video and found it entertaining. I was a railroad police officer for 33 years. I was originally hired by Missouri Pacific RR (MOPAC) as they were transitioning to a merger with Union Pacific. I was actually the last Special Agent hired by MOPAC.
@kiefershanks4172
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
I say it makes sense. You need police that can enforce laws anywhere. Not only that, local police are tasked with policing everything else so they may not have the resources to effectively intervene during incidents. You may also have circumstances which require dozens of officers to be stationed for security, such as the rampant yard thefts shown in the video. This is not something a railroad can expect a third party force to do. Railroads and the countries they serve have very close ties. Railroads are the backbone of nations and as such, they are afforded immense power because of their importance to keeping the economy functioning. It is in the country's best interest to have railroad police so it is allowed.
@mansize6622
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
BullsRwatching.
@aaronroberts4264
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
4 was not about the slaves, but about the corporation and the money invested in.
And so you have private employees, corporations are not elected. You have police private security is what it is.
@JoseGuerrero-tk9hx
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
ANYTHING ON BNSF
@ramonsmediablog
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
I think it’s honestly beneficial, especially for someone who loves trains. They can be a railroad agent.
@Glock20AK
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
Got a good one for you here…
I work as a railroad contracted security officer and we work on behalf of the chief special agent. We enforce trespass law, act as the eyes and ears for the railroad agents, detain suspects if the agent requests it, we identify trespassers by getting their I.D, we respond to emergencies, etc. Definitely an interesting dynamic.
@rocketjohny1954
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
i've heard them called cinder dicks
@Graveyardgravesog
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
Real slave catchers
@RM-kd2zb
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
First time in your channel. I was doing research on where to lateral over to and get back to work after a well needed break. You may have started something positive in my life. Thank you!
@quick-z77
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
I'd say a poilce force funded by the train company operated by the state or fed
@werewolflover8636
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
I’m a former cop but I’ve also worked as a security officer at my local hospital. Both jobs I was armed and both jobs required the same P.O.S.T certification. The hospital was by far more dangerous with fighting being part of the job than anything I faced as a cop where I never once had to unholster my weapon. Just because someone’s job is security doesn’t necessarily mean they’re just key turns!
@robertgarza2134
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
My issues with railroad police is when they patrol a city with a police force of its own just to run citizen's information in the system and if nothing comes back they issue a warning like they have their own court system to enforce traffic violations off railroad property, stay on railroad property and everything will work out.
@jimbobcramden
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
the railroad that goes thought my city have a fire department.
@nickatano9086
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
Most public colleges and universities as well as many private institutions have legitimate police departments comprised of REAL and highly trained professionals who are equally competent and skillful to our brorhers and sisters working in cities…towns…and townships across the country. Do your homework before future feeble attempts at representing yourself as a legitimate journalist. 5:00
@d2suarez
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
Great Texas Beach set. I should admit how much I enjoy walking the tracks there too. I have seen plenty of trains but no police….yet….
@andrewhatton1606
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
As a CSX conductor, I’m go ahead and tell you right now, the railroad police is nothing to be messed with.
@RailCriminals
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
I have a background in criminal justice, criminology and a master's in national security studies. I am also a railfan…and I fully understand my First Amendment right to photograph trains and railroad activities on a public sidewalk. I strongly believe that the demonization of railfanning and perhaps the inability to find out train schedules in the age of FlightAware is because of railroad police. The notion that you should be criminalized , jailed and given a criminal record for just walking across train tracks is way, way over the top. In most other instances of trespassing, the offender is given a warning, especially if the property is not marked, as most railroad property is not marked. Most people have NO idea that train tracks are private property and crossing train tracks is trespassing. I strongly believe that another dangerous activity railroad police do is investigating railfans that are doing nothing wrong and engaged in constitutionally protected activities. Railroad police appear to me to be a police force with little to do … and police forces with little to do are a threat to our lives and freedoms.
@richardrice3137
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
I do not understand how RR police get to RR property! Their right of way is 25 feet wide and the tracks occupy most of that. so they must trespass on adjoining property to get to their property. this right of way is 25 feet wide with the tracks laid down in the middle of that right of way. they routinely claim jurisdiction at 100 feet wide to include any utility right of way there.
@user-zp8sp4hj3d
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
You missed the historical part where both rail police and Pinkerton were developed (and used) to disrupt labor strikes and terrorize union organizers. That was a major part of why they exist.
@quantisedspace7047
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
How come all those small packages are scattered across the tracks ? Is it ordinary US mail ? Why are these things not in mailbags or suitable containers ? Even if a shipping container burst, which is unlikely from a simple derailment, how come individual packages are spread along the length of line, not just a few boxes/bags clustered together. Something is not right here.
We have railway police in the UK as well. I've never heard of anyone having a problem with that, but I don't know whether they are bankrolled by the rail companies or not.
@breakingmirai
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
In Poland we have Straż Ochrony Kolei, which literally translates to "Railroad Security Guard" but they are law enforcement officers and can enforce the law on the railroad territory. They are hired and financed by Polskie Koleje Państwowe (Polish State Railways).
@KennethStone
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
There are a lot of different types of "transit police" around the world and in the US. I live in San Jose, Ca. Our transit agency, VTA (Santa Clara Valley Transit Agency) has their own cops. CalTrain, a commuter rail line, contracts with the San Mateo county sheriff to provide rail based policing. And Amtrak actually does have their own police force as well, which makes sense because they are quasi-government owned. Kinda strange ownership structure.
As an interesting side note, San José State University does have its own police force. It's part of the CSU system, and the CSU's and UC's have campus police which have full statewide police power, just like any other city cop, county sheriffs deputy, CHP Trooper, etc. Or park ranger for that matter. I also used to work for California State Parks. SPPO's (State Park Peace Officers) are park rangers AND full blown cops, as well. Different park agencies have different levels of rangers being sworn. Marin Municipal Water District and City of San José Park Rangers are fully sworn and can arrest you or issue citations and tickets, and have gone through law enforcement training, BUT their agencies do not allow them to carry guns like other cops. So they have to call in other agencies for help if they think they might need some firepower (homeless encampments, drug gangs growing pot, etc). Very interesting.
@junebug9320
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
Maybe it's different in different states, but where I live even our light rail system has their own police force who will harass you at a moments notice if they even suspect you haven't paid for a ticket. A friend of mine got hassled by a Paul Blart because he didn't know University IDs worked as train fare.
@allisons6910
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
Since you(?) appear to be active in the comment section, may you answer this question: At 7:23 You seem to cut your sentence off (although the transcript shows the sentence was complete) as you switch the cam to the empty rail. What was this supposed to mean, as it went straight to the outro in a different location, rather than flipping the camera back at yourself. I thought maybe you heard a train coming, then there wasn't one, but wouldn't you just trim that in the edit?
What am I missing?
@daddydewitt1920
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
Turns out Texas Beach Bridge is what you really shoulda been afraid of..
@garethmatthews7939
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
here in the UK we have railway police called the british transport police that only operate on the railways
@BlueZebraStripe
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
Lol this is like saying forest rangers or DEC guys are real cops. Absolutely not.
@wyatthen9871
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
You really just filmed yourself knowingly committing a crime and posted it on the internet. Wow.
@drinksanddice9528
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
Texas beach!
@Seimstudios
October 5, 2025 at 3:04 am
Railroad police are some of the hands down biggest assholes we you will find on a railways and they should be treated as such. Thankfully down in Mexico their kind of behavior is not tolerated and everyone plays on the tracks because it's fun and we can all here the train coming just fine.
Comments are closed.