Police presence at smaller stations

[BeckysBarn]

Yesterday, I stepped off at GBB (Galesburg). There were 3 police officers, who I believe we're city or county. They were eyeing everyone getting off the CZ. Once the train departed, they hung around the station for about 30 minutes. I asked the ticket agent if the police meeting the trains was the new normal. He replied "Yes" and gave me a look that said I can't say anymore.

So my question is this: is it up to the local town or county to have police at the smaller stations? There were no police at SPI, which is bigger & has more passenger trains per day than GBB.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Yesterday, I stepped off at GBB (Galesburg). There were 3 police officers, who I believe we're city or county. They were eyeing everyone getting off the CZ. Once the train departed, they hung around the station for about 30 minutes. I asked the ticket agent if the police meeting the trains was the new normal. He replied "Yes" and gave me a look that said I can't say anymore.

So my question is this: is it up to the local town or county to have police at the smaller stations? There were no police at SPI, which is bigger & has more passenger trains per day than GBB.

They probably have some good intel Narcotics are being muled through there. It would make sense to detrain at a smaller station where there are no Sniffer Dogs or large police presence but eventually someone will catch on and the Mules will earn an extended stay at the Crossbar Hilton.

 

[John Bobinyec]

Here in Cary, NC, about once a month the TSA + K9 unit shows up to watch the few trains that we have. The town police usually don't make an appearance like that.

jb

 

[Blackwolf]

It certainly does not help that a lot of public safety workers (police, fire, EMS) in a vast portion of the country have a pre-determined notion that only the unwashed and nefarious ride trains and buses (nee: Public Transit.) Simply stepping foot on Amtrak can/is cause for suspicion by some. I've had some co-workers nearly give themselves whiplash with the visceral reaction they have when I explain how much I enjoy traveling by rail.

 

[neroden]

In general it's up to local police where to hang out. (Unless the local police are under court orders due to a previous history of harassment or something.)

Galesburg in particular has had conductors throw a lot of people off the train there or near there for smuggling marijuana. The police may have decided to simply be ready. I am of the opinion that it should just be legal to transport, but not in Illinois yet.

 

[BCL]

I looked it up, and the city owns the station in Galesburg, so their police probably have jurisdiction to patrol city property in addition to normal police authority.

You get all sorts of stuff. A train station is quite different than another business - even a bus terminal - in that almost all are publicly owned or at least built by government entities. I've mentioned that at the San Francisco Ferry Building, I've seen federal DHS Police staking out the ramps. I asked at the Amtrak bus station if they sometimes check out the place, and I was told rarely.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Here in Austin ( not a small City) where only two passenger trains a day run ( NB/SB Texas Eagles) the local PD come by occasional with their K-9 Units and sniff around the Station and Train.

HLS has come a few times but all they do is drink coffee, talk on Cell phones and hand out in the Platform. If the train is late, they pack up and leave!

I have only seen them there in the Morning for the NB #22/#422, never in the evening for the Southbound #21/#421!

Austin is a well known Drug town with heavy LE drug busts on IH35, @ the Airport and around town but I haven't heard of any drug busts yet ( or terrorists captured!) @ the Train Station !

The City besides WAS and NY that I have seen the most LE presence @ Rail Stations is Portland, Oregon!!( PDX)

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Along the route of the Heartland Flyer the TSA will from time to time show up at the various stops southbound but almost always keep their distance from pax and just look around, almost like they are killing time trying to look busy. Sometimes a local Uniformed will show up, but it seems that is usually out of curiosity or perhaps to visit with the station volunteer. Maybe just to look at the train.

 

[BCL]

Along the route of the Heartland Flyer the TSA will from time to time show up at the various stops southbound but almost always keep their distance from pax and just look around, almost like they are killing time trying to look busy. Sometimes a local Uniformed will show up, but it seems that is usually out of curiosity or perhaps to visit with the station volunteer. Maybe just to look at the train.

TSA isn't law enforcement. The one exception is their Air Marshal program, which used to be DOT. At airports they inevitably call on local law enforcement if there's a situation.

 

[JoeBas]

So what's the problem here? After all, if you have nothing to hide... ... ...

 

[dlagrua]

I'd look for police to show up at stations along the CZ route frequently. Denver is a key rail stop in a state that has moved to legalize narcotics. A big drug industry is developing there, government loves the tax revenue and big money is supporting it. Look for a new network of entrepreneurs to spring up , who will buy in Colorado and move to distribute where narcotics are illegal.

The police will be at CZ stops to apprehend, arrest dangerous drug dealer criminals, have them convicted and put in prison for 30 years. Why bother with Amtrak when you have an excellent use of our tax money taking place?

 

[neroden]

Cannabis legalization has now passed in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. California and Nevada frown on enforcement and should probably be expected to legalize in the near future. It'll probably take a while to spread east... though it could also suddenly accelerate, the way same-sex marriage did.

The 'forfeiture' rules mean that a lot of local police departments make a *profit* on 'drug busts', which is a very bad situation which creates a lot of moral hazard and encourages cops to frame people -- there are lots of documented frame-ups in Philadelphia in particular. (In the most corrupt areas, the drugs often mysteriously disappear, presumably into the drugs-sold-by-cops market.)

The Illinois cops are making their immoral forfeiture money while they can. Eventually we'll get rid of this excuse to imprison people for non-violent crimes.

 

[Rail Freak]

What are the laws in Colorado, now that Pot is legal? Can people carry it within State Borders on Amtrak?

 

[andersone]

Galesburg is a wonderful town and where I go to catch the CZ from Ohio. I would bet cash the locals are merely keeping an eye on the drug tourists. For the most part I am appalled by the lunacy of trying to secure everything including the kitchen sink and one of the core reasons I don't fly is the attitude of TSA *****. I still want to know what they sprayed on my hands in NOLA the last time I flew. If only we had spent the money (or even part of it) we have wasted on the TSA think how much Amtrak might be,,,,,

alas .

 

[iggy]

"Yesterday, I stepped off at GBB (Galesburg)."

I've heard this exact story before in this forum. But I didn't experience this when deboarding there earlier this year ( around August 31, 2014 ). I haven't personally witnessed this when passing through on California Zephyr or Southwest Chief previously.

As for Springfield Illinois - while there is no police presence - they in fact do visit station often and recently I did witness - when we drove by - at least 4 squad cars there and several officers waiting on platform for train to arrive. Local scanner traffic has also had officers meeting trains for various reasons past few years. Fairly regular calls for issues in or around station.

Burlington Iowa is a good example of a station needing police patrols inside - many others don't get security attention they need.

People watching listening to conversations - definitely confirms Amtrak is being used as a "product" moving service. From what I have seen plenty of Illinois stations on Lincoln Service route never see a presence unless there is a problem. Springfield seems to be a bit of a hotspot - some passengers have been booted or arrested in Lincoln this year.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

They probably have some good intel Narcotics are being muled through there. It would make sense to detrain at a smaller station where there are no Sniffer Dogs or large police presence but eventually someone will catch on and the Mules will earn an extended stay at the Crossbar Hilton.

Are you referring to the bogus intel that comes from impossibly broad criteria? Or the helpful Amtrak Narc who pocketed $854,460 as part of a reward shaving scam tied to the absurd concept of civil forfeiture? Or the amazingly erroneous drug sniffing dog and pony show?

TSA isn't law enforcement.

Flight attendants aren't law enforcement either but thanks to our absurd laws intentionally disobeying whatever they happen to command is grounds for a felony conviction.

 

[oregon pioneer]

So what's the problem here? After all, if you have nothing to hide... ... ...

A friend of mine with nothing to hide was nonetheless qestioned, and threatened with detainment (removal from the train and interruption of his trip), if he did not consent to a search of all his belongings without a warrant. So do I understand that you would not object to this treatment?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Along the route of the Heartland Flyer the TSA will from time to time show up at the various stops southbound but almost always keep their distance from pax and just look around, almost like they are killing time trying to look busy. Sometimes a local Uniformed will show up, but it seems that is usually out of curiosity or perhaps to visit with the station volunteer. Maybe just to look at the train.

Oops, duplicate post????

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Along the route of the Heartland Flyer the TSA will from time to time show up at the various stops southbound but almost always keep their distance from pax and just look around, almost like they are killing time trying to look busy. Sometimes a local Uniformed will show up, but it seems that is usually out of curiosity or perhaps to visit with the station volunteer. Maybe just to look at the train.

TSA isn't law enforcement. The one exception is their Air Marshal program, which used to be DOT. At airports they inevitably call on local law enforcement if there's a situation.

TSA aren't cops as you said but their running buddies from HLS are, there are always a couple of their Cops with the TSA Blueshirts when they visit the Austin Rail Station from their liar @ the Austin Airport!

The TSA cannot arrest you. The police cannot search you (without reason). On the surface our rights would appear to be intact. However, when you combine the TSA's ability to search virtually anything with the police's ability to arrest virtually anyone as part of a carefully choreographed tag-team handover you end up with an intentional (and presumably illegal) sidestep of the fourth amendment. Unfortunately the current SCOTUS has shown little interest in protecting our privacy or punishing those who refuse to respect it. All they've done so far is throw us a tiny bone allowing us to record the authorities when they invade our privacy in public and forget to say the magic words about someone being in "immanent danger." In any other situation we still risk permanent confiscation and penalty merely for recording our rights being subverted.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Along the route of the Heartland Flyer the TSA will from time to time show up at the various stops southbound but almost always keep their distance from pax and just look around, almost like they are killing time trying to look busy. Sometimes a local Uniformed will show up, but it seems that is usually out of curiosity or perhaps to visit with the station volunteer. Maybe just to look at the train.

TSA isn't law enforcement. The one exception is their Air Marshal program, which used to be DOT. At airports they inevitably call on local law enforcement if there's a situation.

TSA aren't cops as you said but their running buddies from HLS are, there are always a couple of their Cops with the TSA Blueshirts when they visit the Austin Rail Station from their lair @ the Austin Airport!

 

[Peter KG6LSE]

They probably have some good intel Narcotics are being muled through there. It would make sense to detrain at a smaller station where there are no Sniffer Dogs or large police presence but eventually someone will catch on and the Mules will earn an extended stay at the Crossbar Hilton.

Are you referring to the bogus intel that comes from impossibly broad criteria? Or the helpful Amtrak Narc who pocketed $854,460 as part of a reward shaving scam tied to the absurd concept of civil forfeiture? Or the amazingly erroneous drug sniffing dog and pony show?

TSA isn't law enforcement.

Flight attendants aren't law enforcement either but thanks to our absurd laws intentionally disobeying whatever they happen to command is grounds for a felony conviction.

I have known about the FA's law ability but on the other hand . can they force you to * break* a law?

.. at some point you have a catch 22 .....

I doubt a conductor ( for FA for that matter ) can force me to break laws above his or her pay grade.........

just sayin!

 

[WICT106]

Cannabis legalization has now passed in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. California and Nevada frown on enforcement and should probably be expected to legalize in the near future. It'll probably take a while to spread east... though it could also suddenly accelerate, the way same-sex marriage did.

The 'forfeiture' rules mean that a lot of local police departments make a *profit* on 'drug busts', which is a very bad situation which creates a lot of moral hazard and encourages cops to frame people -- there are lots of documented frame-ups in Philadelphia in particular. (In the most corrupt areas, the drugs often mysteriously disappear, presumably into the drugs-sold-by-cops market.)

The Illinois cops are making their immoral forfeiture money while they can. Eventually we'll get rid of this excuse to imprison people for non-violent crimes.

I would go even further than that, and reform or eliminate the civil forfeiture process completely. Even without the presence of *illegal* narcotics, civil forfeiture is wide open for abuse by Police and District Attorneys throughout the US.

 

[neroden]

I would go even further than that, and reform or eliminate the civil forfeiture process completely. Even without the presence of *illegal* narcotics, civil forfeiture is wide open for abuse by Police and District Attorneys throughout the US.

I agree. It might require a constitutional amendment to permanently abolish civil forfeiture, though. (Hey, we could ban warrantless searches again while we're at it; we did it once with the 4th amendment, but it doesn't seem to have stuck...)

 

[MikefromCrete]

Maybe the Galesburg cops are railfans and like to check out the trains.

 

[JoeBas]

So what's the problem here? After all, if you have nothing to hide... ... ...

A friend of mine with nothing to hide was nonetheless qestioned, and threatened with detainment (removal from the train and interruption of his trip), if he did not consent to a search of all his belongings without a warrant. So do I understand that you would not object to this treatment?

Better check the batteries in your sarcasm detector.