[analog31]

To make an analogy, my dad worked at a large chemical factory. It had its own full service fire department. This department also participated in mutual aid with the surrounding town. One thing they could do was provide services that would normally not be a consideration for a sleepy suburb, such as a bomb squad.

I think if your business is particularly security intensive, I don't see a reason not to supplement the basic services provided by the government. There have always been railroad police, armored car services, and so forth.

[munificent]

I don't think moving random manufactured products from point A to point B should be considered "particularly security intensive". This is just basic commerce and logistics.

[ecnahc515]

The history of logistics disagrees with this.

It used to be bandits raiding caravans, and now it's criminals raiding trains, front porches, etc.

[buscoquadnary]

And then we created civilized society so citizens and corporations could conduct such activities without threat to life or property.

[focusgroup0]

It appears that vigilantism will be making a comeback

[mpyne]

Some of the largest battles of World War II involved nothing more substantial than moving goods from point A to point B, or stopping the other country from moving their goods from point A to point B.

Logistics is the lifeblood of society and cannot be taken for granted even in a civilian sphere.

[lost_soul]

UP has its own police with full law enforcement powers. I would be curious to know if that force has been downsized. They did abandon the police headquarters building at the western edge of the LA yard.

[mc32]

They can arrest but they cannot prosecute. The state needs to try the suspects and enforce any penalties. UP police cannot do the latter -they can only arrest.

Maybe they can seek trial in a different locale if the railroad right of way has different jurisdiction.

[nradov]

The only other option the UP police have is asking a federal prosecutor to take the case. And that's only if there's some credible evidence of a federal law violation.

[beerandt]

I'm not generally one for expanding federal jurisdictional reach, but there's a much clearer federal connection for: internationally imported shipping containers leaving a federal port facility on a (primarily) federally regulated mode of transportation devoted (primarily) to interstate commerce... than there is for 90% of what legally gets classified today as federal jurisdiction.

[GoOnThenDoTell]

Is there no theft laws at the federal level?

[lazyasciiart]

That's the same as the normal LA police. The prosecutor is a separate department altogether.