So I'm reading all these postings and I'm wondering:
Are you folks saying that RR police are making traffic stops away from the tracks? Like if I'm cruising down the highway, miles from any RR tracks, and run a yellow light, if a RR cop sees me, he might stop me if he wanted? I'm not talking about them seeing someone messing around the tracks, and following them for awhile before they pull 'em over. I'm talking someone who has been no where near the tracks getting stopped by a RR cop for speeding, or rolling thru a stop or whatever.
I've never seen the RR ever have anyone pulled over. That's why I'm asking.
I work with the railroad police up in my county. Trust me, they make traffic stops all the time if not everyday, if you monitor their frequency's you'll hear it for yourself. They run radar, write tickets on Michigan's uniform citations, arrest drunk driver's, etc. I talk to them on a regular basis, in fact I know both of the guys that work in my county both work part time at other agencies and they also work down in your neck of the woods for the railroad from time to time. If someone is driving like a complete idiot and blow their doors off and is potentially a life threatening hazzard to other motorists they will stop you and take enforcement action as they are allowed under state law. One of their guys that works midnights is always hooking people up for drunks...off railroad property, gotta think about all the crossings throughout Michigan, we have to have over 100 easily in our county alone.
I guess some folks don't realize who they really are because they are so small. They will even tell you that they understand that. I was at lunch with one of their guys and he had two different people walk up to him asking him about his job. Me personally, I would grow tired of the question asking but he just took it in stride I guess. I do know they make a ton of money and get pretty much left alone to do their job.
You gotta remember, speed and drunks effect the railroad just as much as it effects every other thing on the roadway. Someone pulls out of a bar and barrel's down the road and runs smack right into a train, that is not uncommon in my parts. In fact most of the train vs cars up here are a result of alchool. Once the railroad hits a car, most likely a law suit will take place against the railroad. By having their officers out their, enforcing the laws around the crossings and their property and interests, it help's reduce the claims against them.
Traffic enforcement is but a small part of what they get invovled with. They work a ton with homeland security, they seem to get raped with theft. Think about all the stuff those trains haul. I know the one guy that I work with busts his butt for the railroad. One day he is in Detroit, the next in Flint, the next in Port Huron. He works just as hard for his other department.
Anyway I just thought I would drop my two cents in. Where I work they are well respected guys. I never had any issues with them and they are always their if we need them, even if it's to hold down a PI until we can get a unit on to backing us on a domestic, sometimes they are the only back up we get.
