Amtrak Police

[Locobill]

Last night we were having dinner in New Buffalo, MI and saw an “Amtrak Police” vehicle go down the street. We wondered what their jurisdiction was and how far from the tracks did it extend? Any thoughts?

 

[Dutchrailnut]

In general their Jurisdiction is entire state, that Amtrak operates in.

 

[PVD]

Things can vary by state. They are legislatively established federal law enforcement. They are also a class 1 railroad police agency, and most states write into their statutes laws/regulations that grant them police powers for state laws as well.
so APD falls under 2 categories in NY Federal and State
Police officer defined in NY law:
* (p) Persons appointed as railroad police officers pursuant to section eighty-eight of the railroad law where such department or force is certified in accordance with paragraph (d) of subdivision one of section eight hundred forty-six-h of the executive law;

For mostly obsolete bureaucratic reasons they are subject to "geographical area of employment" provisions that relate to enforcement of state and local laws (as opposed to Federal statutes) When LIRR and MNPD were separate, it affected them, it was fixed by the creation of the MTAPD, a police agency of a State Authority.

 

[alanh]

Of course the details vary by state, but law enforcement officers are generally granted their powers by the state regardless of the jurisdiction they're employed by. So there may not be a legal limit to their jurisdiction within the state, though practically it's very unusual for them to work outside the jurisdiction that employs them.

 

[railiner]

What is interesting is when NJT railroad police ride their trains in and out of New York’s Penn Station, during special times like New Years Eve, or St. Patrick’s Day…
I wonder if NY state grants them special police authority for that?

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police officers have police authority in both states, and their badges have a unique design, with both state seals displayed…

 

[PVD]

What is interesting is when NJT railroad police ride their trains in and out of New York’s Penn Station, during special times like New Years Eve, or St. Patrick’s Day…
I wonder if NY state grants them special police authority for that?

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police officers have police authority in both states, and their badges have a unique design, with both state seals displayed…

MTAPD commission in both NY & CT. so they can ride end to end on trains that hit CT The geographical area of employment provisions are meaningful in that they set limits on where a PD can conduct operations. Outside of an emergency (like a pursuit) the limitations imposed on those granted full police powers by this are much tighter for railroad police as opposed to most police agencies. Peace officer powers (not the same thing as police powers in NY) are granted to a wide range of Federal LEO (customs fbi, secret svce etc) to allow for enforcement under local laws but APD is not on that list.

 

[EchoSierra]

In addition, the officers are able/allowed to take their cruiser home. There is a neighbor in my neighborhood who is an Amtrak Police officer and his cruiser is parked at his house overnight.

 

[railiner]

In addition, the officers are able/allowed to take their cruiser home. There is a neighbor in my neighborhood who is an Amtrak Police officer and his cruiser is parked at his house overnight.

Seems to be a common practice….I see more Broward County off duty police vehicles than my home Palm Beach County (FL) off duty police vehicles…

 

[Eric in East County]

On our 2021 trip west on Southwest Chief No. 3, a uniformed member of the Amtrak Police Force rode our train from Chicago to Fullerton. He had a room in one of the sleepers and apparently kept a low profile for the entire trip. We only saw him when he boarded in Chicago and when he got off in Fullerton. (We overheard him tell someone that he would be flying home to Chicago, so apparently he was not just hitching a free ride to California.) This was the only time that we’ve seen a uniformed member of the Amtrak Police Force ride across country, and we never did learn why he was on our train. (There must have been some good reason for him being there.)

Question: Do plainclothes members of the Amtrak Police Force (or from some Federal agency) ride trains like the Sky Marshals do on aircraft?

 

[PVD]

I don't know about APD, doubt it. Keep in mind that unlike the regular marshals service, air marshals are actually part of TSA. There have been occasions where they have participated in special security details involving rail including mass transit, (anyone remember the VIPR Teams) the degree to which they ride plainclothes I do not know, but imagine it is minimal.

 

[Eric in East County]

I don't know about APD, doubt it. Keep in mind that unlike the regular marshals service, air marshals are actually part of TSA. There have been occasions where they have participated in special security details involving rail including mass transit, (anyone remember the VIPR Teams) the degree to which they ride plainclothes I do not know, but imagine it is minimal.

Thanks for answering my question. Do you have any idea why that uniformed member of the APD was on our train for the entire passage from Chicago to Fullerton? As far as we could tell, he just stayed in his room during the trip and didn’t make his presence generally known.

 

[railiner]

Thanks for answering my question. Do you have any idea why that uniformed member of the APD was on our train for the entire passage from Chicago to Fullerton? As far as we could tell, he just stayed in his room during the trip and didn’t make his presence generally known.

Very unusual…perhaps there was some “VIP”, aboard, and he was put there for PR purpose….

 

[PVD]

I have a friend who was LIRR-MTAPD detective, did a stint on the Joint Terrorism Task Force (interagency planning group) Then went to TSA working on surface transit security (think rail-especially that freight routinely carries hazmat through populated areas) Will probably see him Tues night at a HS Hockey meeting and will ask, if he was in uniform, it can't be "super secret"

 

[AFS1970]

MTA-PD has jurisdiction in NY, CT & NJ section of track (Port Jervis Line) that runs from NJ into NY. There is also an MOU / interstate compact that allows state troopers from NY, NJ & CT ride the trains and retain all their powers as they cross the state lines. That is rare, but during various threat conditions it is implemented.

I am not sure what powers AMTRAK PD may have relative to state or local laws, but their federal jurisdiction would of course be nationwide. If they are driving around nowhere near a train line, I would think it is just to get from point A to point B.

 

[TheVig]

Saturday on the Carolinian, a few Amtrak PD boarded at RGH and road it all the way to NYP. It’s not everyday I see uniformed Amtrak PD that far south on the Carolinian.

 

[railiner]

MTA-PD has jurisdiction in NY, CT & NJ section of track (Port Jervis Line) that runs from NJ into NY. There is also an MOU / interstate compact that allows state troopers from NY, NJ & CT ride the trains and retain all their powers as they cross the state lines. That is rare, but during various threat conditions it is implemented

Makes sense…I suppose the rest of the RR PD’s whose trains cross state lines have similar authority…

 

[Steve4031]

There is a drug smuggling/transportation issue on most Amtrak long-distance trains because there are no security procedures for checking luggage before boarding. Maybe the Amtrak police officer was there because he was on the lookout for someone.

 

[Eric in East County]

There is a drug smuggling/transportation issue on most Amtrak long-distance trains because there are no security procedures for checking luggage before boarding. Maybe the Amtrak police officer was there because he was on the lookout for someone.

The Amtrak Police are obviously “in the loop” along with other local and Federal agencies regarding information turned up by the FBI, Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, etc. We must assume that if anything comes to light that could possible involved Amtrak trains, the Amtrak Police will take whatever appropriate action is necessary to safeguard passengers and crews.

 

[flitcraft]

There is a drug smuggling/transportation issue on most Amtrak long-distance trains because there are no security procedures for checking luggage before boarding. Maybe the Amtrak police officer was there because he was on the lookout for someone.

I would have thought that simply using a car would be less risky for drug smuggling, since there's no security checking before renting a car, either. Maybe folks without driver's license IDs need to resort to Amtrak for their smuggling transportation needs?

 

[Eric in East County]

I would have thought that simply using a car would be less risky for drug smuggling, since there's no security checking before renting a car, either. Maybe folks without driver's license IDs need to resort to Amtrak for their smuggling transportation needs?

I’m guessing that drug smugglers use long-distance trains for the same reasons that many of us do: it is less stressful and fatiguing than driving across country, one doesn’t have to stop along the way to eat, buy fuel, or answer a call of nature, one doesn’t have to stop for the night to sleep, there is less likelihood of being involved in an accident or incident that could result in police involvement, etc.

 

[zephyr17]

I’m guessing that drug smugglers use long-distance trains for the same reasons that many of us do: it is less stressful and fatiguing than driving across country, one doesn’t have to stop along the way to eat, buy fuel, or answer a call of nature, one doesn’t have to stop for the night to sleep, there is less likelihood of being involved in an accident or incident that could result in police involvement, etc.

There are also the "border checkpoints" on highways that can be as much as 100 miles from the border.