Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon sent a letter to Union Pacific Railroad that blamed the company for thefts caused by gangs of armed bandits who storm the trains and pilfer millions of dollars’ worth of goods.
The letter, dated Friday, comes two days after the Washington Examiner reported that the famed Union Pacific police force had arrived in LA full time to combat the problem. Union Pacific wrote to Gascon a month ago asking for help after seeing a 160% rise in theft in the past year on trains leaving the backlogged LA ports.
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The trains become a target as they pull into a depot on the outskirts of downtown, an area largely out of sight from the public and not routinely patrolled by police. Union Pacific has its own police force who should be “patrolling and keeping areas safe,” Gascon wrote.
“UP does little to secure or lock trains and has significantly decreased law enforcement staffing. It is very telling that other major railroad operations in the area are not facing the same level of theft at their facilities as UP,” Gascon wrote. “We can ensure that appropriate cases are filed and prosecuted; however, my Office is not tasked with keeping your sites secure and the District Attorney alone cannot solve the major issues facing your organization.”
In a letter last month, Union Pacific stated that more than 90 containers a day are attacked, resulting in at least 100 arrests during the past year. The company says it has never been called by prosecutors, leaving it to wonder what cases have been filed. State law requires prosecutors to notify crime victims.
The company complained in its own letter that a no-cash bail system and downgrading felonies to misdemeanors amounts to no “judicial deterrence or consequence” and offers “no surprise that over the past year UP has witnessed the significant increase in criminal rail theft.”
Gascon defended his record by saying 57 cases were presented for filing in 2020 and 47 in 2021. Roughly half of the 47 cases were filed on misdemeanor and felony charges including burglary, theft, and receiving stolen property. The remaining cases could not be proven in court or were pertaining to the use of drugs.
“To be clear, felony and misdemeanor cases are filed where our Office is presented with enough evidence to prove that a crime was committed,” Gascon wrote.
The beleaguered district attorney is facing a recall for what critics say are soft-on-crime policies that do not allow the filing of maximum charges in violent felony cases — including murder. Prosecutors in his own office have complained that they are hamstrung from using strict California laws that hammer sex offenders, murderers, and gang members.
“Gascon’s letter is really talking down to a crime victim. But then again, it’s well known that he does not care about crime victims,” said former District Attorney Steve Cooley, one of the recall’s organizers. “A real prosecutor would have his best deputies out there working with law enforcement agencies and UP to pull this situation together and shut [these thefts] down.”
Cooley disputed that Union Pacific is to blame, saying locks mean little to motivated thieves who will use a blow torch if needed to open cargo cars.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Union Pacific responded to Gascon’s letter late Friday by telling the Washington Examiner that dozens of agents have been in LA during peak times last year.
“We have a positive, long-standing relationship with the LAPD and area law enforcement, and we look forward to working together to ensure that criminals are brought to justice and held accountable,” the company said. “Recent events have underscored the need for continued partnership with law enforcement, elected officials, customers, and companies to address this issue and move forward together.”
