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ripcord

(5,213 posts)
Sat Jan 15, 2022, 12:42 PM Jan 2022

Thieves in LA are looting freight trains filled with packages from UPS, FedEx and Amazon [View all]

Source: CNN Business

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.

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



This is what happens when people know there are no consequences to their actions.
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Consequences Rebl2 Jan 2022 #1
USPS wasn't mentioned- UPS, FedEx and Amazon. Nt Fiendish Thingy Jan 2022 #2
My brain Rebl2 Jan 2022 #20
WTF? Charge these people. Joinfortmill Jan 2022 #3
I believe they are being charged stopdiggin Jan 2022 #11
And then they're released. mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2022 #14
With that kind of security, would anyone ride a high-speed "bullet" train? nt JustABozoOnThisBus Jan 2022 #4
What are you suggesting is the concern? maxsolomon Jan 2022 #6
hard to see the connection (or relevance) stopdiggin Jan 2022 #8
I believe we've ridden that pony before. GoneOffShore Jan 2022 #51
Modern day Butch and Sundance before they started robbing banks. twodogsbarking Jan 2022 #5
This has been going on as long as there has been trains and frieght yards. Itchinjim Jan 2022 #7
Yep ColinC Jan 2022 #19
To that extent? I seriously doubt it. It's a problem. Scrivener7 Jan 2022 #22
The same train yards that back in my day used to provide cut-rate firearms for the community pecosbob Jan 2022 #39
Union Pacific: Train Robberies Up 356% Due To LA County DA George Gascon's No-Cash Bail Policy mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2022 #9
No cash bail doesn't prevent people from being charged ColinC Jan 2022 #13
After which they're right back on the streets. Or the tracks; wherever there's more to steal. NT mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2022 #16
That isn't because of cash bail.... ColinC Jan 2022 #17
thing is, it seems like there ARE a good number stopdiggin Jan 2022 #21
Yeah. I just think blaming no cash bail for looting is incredibly misdirected ColinC Jan 2022 #28
100% stopdiggin Jan 2022 #43
I agree. I also think there are plenty of preventative measures that could be introduced to prevent ColinC Jan 2022 #44
It's not so much about bail... It's more about sentencing I-Scream Jan 2022 #49
Right. To blame the no cash bail system like the companies are doing is idiotic ColinC Jan 2022 #50
This is why we lose elections Polybius Jan 2022 #26
Right. You can count on seeing these videos in the TV commercials for every last mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2022 #33
+1 n/t Slammer Jan 2022 #42
Gascon's rules don't prevent people from being charged. Companies and police are trying ColinC Jan 2022 #10
You're right. The people committing the thefts are not at all responsible. mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2022 #12
Right. They are not responsible for charging and convicting themselves. ColinC Jan 2022 #15
Actually Gascon has been prosecuting less misdemeanor theft cases ripcord Jan 2022 #45
Those absolutely sound like consequences. ColinC Jan 2022 #47
Search Google News mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2022 #18
Eh, why isn't Fed Ex., others do more to protect our shipments? If they don't, then the SWBTATTReg Jan 2022 #23
Because that would cost $$... 2naSalit Jan 2022 #31
This country has gone to hell since Trump. "If the top elected official can break the law... C Moon Jan 2022 #24
This has nothing to do with Trump Polybius Jan 2022 #27
Someone needs to hire Joe Lefors and his crew. paleotn Jan 2022 #25
The jerks breaking into the containers are thieves. They're stealing medical supplies and mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2022 #32
Didn't say they were. Bit of an overreaction, ya think? paleotn Jan 2022 #35
Yeah, you're right. mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2022 #36
No worries. My sense of humor tends to rub folks the wrong way sometimes. paleotn Jan 2022 #37
I need to choose an excuse for my uncalled for reaction. Hmmmm. Oh, I know. mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2022 #38
All that corporate stimulus welfare must not trickled down any plus 4 yrs of being run by the mob yaesu Jan 2022 #29
Fed, state, and local police joint task forces needed to stop this crap. LENNY0229 Jan 2022 #30
Yes. Delmette2.0 Jan 2022 #40
Here's what will happen if nothing is done: mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2022 #34
good point Slammer Jan 2022 #41
It's a LOT cheaper to blame "Courts not locking thieves up" than to actually provide security Nac Mac Feegle Jan 2022 #46
Thank you. LT Barclay Jan 2022 #48
I don't know where you came up with the $256 million figure. It's in the billions, I-Scream Jan 2022 #52
It was in an article I read about how much worse corporate crime is LT Barclay Jan 2022 #55
They have their own police force and make arrests ripcord Jan 2022 #54
I'm assuming they couldn't be bothered judging from the amount of debris left behind tenderfoot Jan 2022 #56
They cleaned up the area four weeks ago. All the debris you see has been dumped there mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2022 #57
How strange is it that someone would try to blame the thieves behavior on the victim (nt) ripcord Jan 2022 #60
The victim with their own security force? tenderfoot Jan 2022 #61
At DU? Not really. NT mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2022 #62
You don't seem upset that there was no resistance to getting looted. tenderfoot Jan 2022 #63
They have a police force that arrests people who break into trains ripcord Jan 2022 #65
Why aren't you upset that security let them have their way? tenderfoot Jan 2022 #66
Remember when there were just hobos who rode the rails? n/t Yandex Jan 2022 #53
Your post made me think of the movie, Judgment Night from the 90s. LiberatedUSA Jan 2022 #58
We didn't see many hobos riding the rails. Dr. Strange Jan 2022 #68
Post removed Post removed Jan 2022 #59
Train Thefts RSherman Jan 2022 #64
welcome to DU gopiscrap Jan 2022 #67
I agree it's organized rockfordfile Jan 2022 #69
LA councilman blasts train theft 'chaos,' calls them 'a threat to our economy' mahatmakanejeeves Feb 2022 #70
Blaming no cash bail is pure politics RSherman Mar 2022 #71
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