Crime Union Pacific announces it may cease freight rail service to Los Angeles County and the Port of Los Angeles - Blames unrestrained looting and lack of security

According to the rail company, despite its own Railway Police making over a hundred arrests, the LA prosecutors office releases them all within 24 hours.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/14/economy/la-freight-railroad-theft/index.html

Washington, DC(CNN)Photos and videos showing piles of empty boxes littered alongside rail tracks in Los Angeles County, California have gone viral as shipping companies say they've seen a dramatic spike in railroad theft. Some of the boxes are packages from companies like UPS, Amazon and FedEx.

Union Pacific, one of the country's largest railroad companies, says it may avoid operating in Los Angeles County following the spike in thefts, which it blames on lax prosecution of crimes. The containers and trains are locked, but can be broken into.

Union Pacific said last month in a letter to the Los Angeles District Attorney that it saw a 160% year-over-year increase in theft in LA county. The company claims that a December 2020 special directive issued by District Attorney George Gascón that changed how low-level offenses are prosecuted has contributed to the uptick.

Union Pacific said in its letter that in the last three months of the year it made over 100 arrests of "active criminals vandalizing our trains" in partnership with the LA police department and Los Angeles Sherriff department. But Union Pacific, which has its own police department with jurisdiction over the 32,000 miles of tracks it owns, said that even as it has expanded its security resources and partnered more closely with local law enforcement, the problem isn't going away. After being arrested individuals are released from custody within 24 hours, it said.

Crime is associated with increases in poverty, which has increased during the pandemic. The county's directive was intended to combat social ills that come from misdemeanor convictions, such as difficulties with employment, housing, education, government benefits and immigration.

"Studies show that prosecution of the offenses driving the bulk of misdemeanor cases have minimal, or even negative, long-term impacts on public safety," Gascón said when the directive was issued.

"Our office is committed to working with law enforcement to ensure collective safety across Los Angeles County's sprawling infrastructure, whether it's at our ports or on railroad tracks," Alex Bastian, Special Advisor to District Attorney Gascón said when reached for comment.

"Some cases presented to our office by Union Pacific have been filed, such as burglary and grand theft, while others have been declined due to insufficient evidence. We make charging decisions based on the evidence. Our office takes Union Pacific's concerns seriously and hopes to discuss this issue more in the coming weeks," he added.

"While we understand the well-intended social justice goals of the policy, we need our justice system to support our partnership efforts with local law enforcement, hold these criminals accountable, and most important, help protect our employees and the critical local and national rail network," Guerrero said.

The Association of American Railroads expressed concern about the crime increase.

"In coordination with local law and where necessary federal law enforcement partners, the industry is committed to pursuing all avenues necessary to address this criminal behavior," spokesman Ted Greener said in a statement.

 

[mindlessobserver]

Is the government willing to put up with Cali DAs letting out the thieves all willy-nilly though?

The current Vice President paid the bail for these same looters back in 2020. What do you think? And even if the Feds did want to do something, they are hamstrung for the same reason they can't ram a Vaccine Mandate home. The Federal Government does not have Police power within the States proper. It's up to California to handle this shit.

Which is not to say that the Feds couldn't step in, though it pains me to admit it. There is precedent. Federal troops were brought in to deal with threats to the railroad for two reasons. Reason 1: railroads engage in interstate commerce and Reason 2: the US postal service uses the railroad.

This situation is fundamentally the same one as the one that justified using the Army against railway unions in the gilded age. These shenanigans are interrupting interstate commerce and the mail.

But does anyone here honestly believe the BIDEN administration is going to go full Grover Cleveland on California?

 

[Pee Cola]

This situation is fundamentally the same one as the one that justified using the Army against railway unions in the gilded age. These shenanigans are interrupting interstate commerce and the mail.

Ideally the railroad companies would get Pinkertons involved like in the olden days, but I guess that won't fly in current year California.

 

[ColtWalker1847]

Crime is associated with increases in poverty, which has increased during the pandemic. The county's directive was intended to combat social ills that come from misdemeanor convictions, such as difficulties with employment, housing, education, government benefits and immigration.

Oh fuck you CNN. You damn well know it isn't poverty that causes this. It's organized groups. UP can handle hobos.

And we all thought the supply issues might ease up. Like ever.

Not too long ago there was a proposal for expanding the port facility in Grays Harbor County Washington. It's an ideal site in a natural harbor with loads of room to expand. Improve the road and rail line to connect it to the network and you're golden.

Holy shit did people come out of the woodwork to oppose that. This is in deep-red Washington, btw. But, whaddaya know, Friends of Trees and Global Action Stopping Things Network came out of nowhere to kill it in record time. Gotta save the environment and whatever. This is all happening in lumber country. These "organic local opposition" groups showing up to oppose a transportation expansion.

Didn't take until this port backup for me to figure out why actually happened. California gets to enact a little tax for everything that comes through their ports. They DO NOT WANT shipping to go elsewhere. They have funding and power and will move mountains to see that every container goes through their shithole and pays the tolls.

They have now overreached and are tripping over their own dicks and trying to pretend that nobody saw it.

It's getting to the point that it would faster to send the shipments the other way to Miami and Savannah.

I think that big one in Louisiana up the Mississippi is the one all the traffic is getting directed to. It is very costly.

 

[Fomo Hoire]

They won't. California will cry racism, the house plant in the White House will turn up the heat and the Railroad will be forced to eat the losses.

I don't doubt they have the malice required for that, but I kind of thought the current administration was beholden to the railroads and they fucked with the pipelines and brought us this



Just to make said railroads happy. Are they really not trying to make the trains rich(er) anymore?

 

[Troonos]

Sad that it's in a tyrannical hellscape that detests the Second Amendment. Every single one of these animals deserves a bullet to the brain.

 

[Elwood P. Dowd]

California gets to enact a little tax for everything that comes through their ports. They DO NOT WANT shipping to go elsewhere. They have funding and power and will move mountains to see that every container goes through their shithole and pays the tolls.

I swear I read something a few years ago about some giant port of entry in Mexico being built that was going to be exclusively for transshipping into the USA without normal border checks. I think it was even supposed to have a dedicated highway for these trucks alone, running I believe directly from the Pacific into Texas. I'm not having any luck finding the article again, but it sounded like one of the primary reasons it was being built was to get around California completely. IIRC the normal stuff done in a port in terms of unloading the cargo for interim destinations wouldn't even be done until the containers arrived in Texas.

 

[ColtWalker1847]

I swear I read something a few years ago about some giant port of entry in Mexico being built that was going to be exclusively for transshipping into the USA without normal border checks. I think it was even supposed to have a dedicated highway for these trucks alone, running I believe directly from the Pacific into Texas. I'm not having any luck finding the article again, but it sounded like one of the primary reasons it was being built was to get around California completely. IIRC the normal stuff done in a port in terms of unloading the cargo for interim destinations wouldn't even be done until the containers arrived in Texas.

Yeah, that was all bullshit. At least how it was explained in the media. It a proposed super highway plus rail corridor thingy to Canada that was supposed to overlap I-35. All the port stuff was speculative. The no border check stuff was schitzo early Alex Jones crackpot rambling.

It was all just some NAFTA fantasy that never came to pass. Turns out we don't ship too much north-south along that route and the US doesn't want to fund Mexico and Canada getting their shit together on our level by building proper roads and rail and ports.

 

[Trout P]

Ignore the false accusations of racism then.

Nah, in California politics when someone cries racism it's like power word kill. You shrivel and die instantly. It's extremely OP.

 

[TowinKarz]

Oh fuck you CNN. You damn well know it isn't poverty that causes this. It's organized groups. UP can handle hobos.

Also, hobos don't tend to steal the cargo...... they just want a ride on it. The most they want to risk is a trespassing charge, not a case of felony theft that will land them in jail (where they can't ride the trains)

They'd have gotten further by blaming Len Shaner, the Foamer King, who just can't keep his hands off those shiny... shiny.... trains.

 

[Milwaukee Macho Man]

I expect to see articles calling for nationalization of the railroads any day now.

And this will be where the true insurrection starts. Instead of being rich land owners wanting to break away from the crown, it will be mega rich corporations looking to break away from the bureaucrats.

Who do you think the modern retard is more loyal to? The democrats, or corporations?

 

[mindlessobserver]

I don't doubt they have the malice required for that, but I kind of thought the current administration was beholden to the railroads and they fucked with the pipelines and brought us this

View attachment 2889200

Just to make said railroads happy. Are they really not trying to make the trains rich(er) anymore?

I doubt the idiots really thought so far ahead as the realize if the gas can't go by pipe it would go by Rail. The Democrats are beholden to a very vocal and exceptionally retarded voter base that believes the world will end next year unless we stop burning fossil fuels. Since every Democratic party politico is a wealthy grifter, it does not bother them if a tank of Gas costs 100 dollars. If their idiot voters want that in exchange for giving them power it's an easy trade to make.

Besides, the people most affected by high gas prices are Rural Republicans. It's a two for one deal. They appease their idiot base who live in cities and don't have to drive much AND they get to cripple the economic spending power of their political adversaries at the same time! There is literally no downside for the Democrats when it comes to 4 dollar a gallon gas.

At least in the short term. But that is the only way a modern politician can think.

 

[Lorne Armstrong]

And this will be where the true insurrection starts. Instead of being rich land owners wanting to break away from the crown, it will be mega rich corporations looking to break away from the bureaucrats.

Who do you think the modern retard is more loyal to? The democrats, or corporations?

Isn’t BNSF striking right now as well?

 

[No. 7 cat]

Sharia law. The Dems cannot complain. Just cut the arms off thieves.

 

[TowinKarz]

Can they regulate what railroad ships through ?

They can regulate the rules by which cargo moves (HAZMAT, maximum carload weights, the minutiae of paperwork, etc)

But they cannot AFAIK compel a railroad to ship anything anywhere, as private companies they have the right to refuse a cargo.

They used to have that power to force service under the old ICC regulations to prevent a railroad from threatening to discontinue deliveries to a town if it didn't knuckle-under and pay Robber McBaron out the nose for shipping fees.

But those laws were rescinded in the mid 70's when it became obvious that they were running railroads out of business by forcing them to continue to run empty passenger trains that nobody used and operate freight service at a loss because those 19th Century laws never foresaw that commercial air travel and trucks/freeways would ever provide an alternative to the railroad, much less kick the crap out of it.

I doubt the idiots really thought so far ahead as the realize if the gas can't go by pipe it would go by Rail.

I laughed so hard when the green weenies told me "Ha! Pipeline's canceled, no more oil for you! Electric cars now inevitable!"

All that really meant when they unplugged Keystone was that now they'd have to use the pipeline-on-wheels

This is my backyard....



6 of these come through a day, 3 loaded, 3 returning empty for more..... each 80 cars long. Thanks for making my local railroad richer, and the engines run on diesel too....

 

[Open Window Maniac]

Sharia law. The Dems cannot complain. Just cut the arms off thieves.

I second this insofar we cut both the arms off of every politician. They steal tax dollars with impunity so only getting two limbs cut off would be pretty lenient punishment.

 

[Slappy McGherkin]

Train top Koreans when? That would get shit solved in a hurry.

 

[Lorne Armstrong]

Train top Koreans when? That would get shit solved in a hurry.

That’s supposed to be the Railroad Bulls but they’ve turned into Bum Steers.

 

[Pentex]

Interstate commerce disruption, proudly brought to you be another Soros prosecutor (George Gascon).

Whoever promises to shut down the Open Societies Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Gates Foundation gets my vote.

 

[CircuSphere]

They can regulate the rules by which cargo moves (HAZMAT, maximum carload weights, the minutiae of paperwork, etc)

But they cannot AFAIK compel a railroad to ship anything anywhere, as private companies they have the right to refuse a cargo.

They used to have that power to force service under the old ICC regulations to prevent a railroad from threatening to discontinue deliveries to a town if it didn't knuckle-under and pay Robber McBaron out the nose for shipping fees.

But those laws were rescinded in the mid 70's when it became obvious that they were running railroads out of business by forcing them to continue to run empty passenger trains that nobody used and operate freight service at a loss because those 19th Century laws never foresaw that commercial air travel and trucks/freeways would ever provide an alternative to the railroad, much less kick the crap out of it.


I laughed so hard when the green weenies told me "Ha! Pipeline's canceled, no more oil for you! Electric cars now inevitable!"

All that really meant when they unplugged Keystone was that now they'd have to use the pipeline-on-wheels

This is my backyard....

View attachment 2889777

6 of these come through a day, 3 loaded, 3 returning empty for more..... each 80 cars long. Thanks for making my local railroad richer, and the engines run on diesel too....

Literally Warren Buffet's (one of Sleepy Joe's biggest donors) plan all along.


Also here is some video of the action for the threads viewing pleasure:

https://files.catbox.moe/4adnqk.mp4

 

[Super-Chevy454]

Ideally the railroad companies would get Pinkertons involved like in the olden days, but I guess that won't fly in current year California.

Better having some vigilantes in the style of Bernard Goetz, Frank Converse and Paul Kersey.