Things get worse in The Southwest

WolfBear

Well-known member

ShadowArxxy

Well-known member
Comrade
California is right next to the ocean we could do just fine if we built desalt plants. In the long run cutting us off from the river is the best thing to do for the nation as a whole.

Los Angeles County has in fact enacted a policy of moving to at least 50% local water supply by 2025 , and has spent a considerable amount of money building infrastructure to actually achieve this.
 

ShadowArxxy

Well-known member
Comrade


90 containers per day on average pillaged.


Interesting counterpoint: by federal law, interstate railways have the authority to appoint their own police; they are the only private entities in the United States that have such authority, and state and local governments are not allowed to block or interfere with it. So if the Union Pacific is having issues with theft and/or vandalism around the trains, they already have the authority to deal with it themselves on a level that is unheard of for any other business.

(Railway police are the sole case where a private company is authorized to have its own police. Other private companies can have security officers without police authority, or they can hire actual police officers, but the authority of those police officers still flows from the city/county/state. Railway police answer solely to the company while still having full police powers.)
 

LordsFire

Internet Wizard
Interesting counterpoint: by federal law, interstate railways have the authority to appoint their own police; they are the only private entities in the United States that have such authority, and state and local governments are not allowed to block or interfere with it. So if the Union Pacific is having issues with theft and/or vandalism around the trains, they already have the authority to deal with it themselves on a level that is unheard of for any other business.

(Railway police are the sole case where a private company is authorized to have its own police. Other private companies can have security officers without police authority, or they can hire actual police officers, but the authority of those police officers still flows from the city/county/state. Railway police answer solely to the company while still having full police powers.)

Did you deliberately miss the part where the local DA was generally just letting the arrested offenders out within 24 hours, with no bail?
 

ShadowArxxy

Well-known member
Comrade
Did you deliberately miss the part where the local DA was generally just letting the arrested offenders out within 24 hours, with no bail?

No, I am pointing out a relatively little-known but highly relevant piece of factual information as a counterpoint in context, not a counter-argument. As I pointed out, the railroads have a level of authority over these matters that is unheard of for any other business. In fact, because they have full police authority, the railways can build their own private jails and have their own private police throw people into them to be held until a charging decision is made.

That doesn't completely bypass the local DA, but the point I'm making is that the railways have a *lot* of power on their side which any other business in their position would not have.
 

ShadowArxxy

Well-known member
Comrade
Sounds like Union Pacific needs to contract Lone Star or Knight Errant for this.

Why should they? Railway police have all the advantages of private security *and* actual law enforcement, including full arrest and detainment and near-immunity from prosecution. They answer *only* to the company, so long as the company does not order them to do anything that is *outright illegal*.
 

LordsFire

Internet Wizard
Why should they? Railway police have all the advantages of private security *and* actual law enforcement, including full arrest and detainment and near-immunity from prosecution. They answer *only* to the company, so long as the company does not order them to do anything that is *outright illegal*.

Unless they're also allowed to decide prosecution, then detaining people after the DA dismisses charges would be outright illegal.

And given charges are being dismissed within 24 hours, it is clearly a priority for the DA to let these thieves out.
 

The Whispering Monk

Well-known member
Osaul
Why should they? Railway police have all the advantages of private security *and* actual law enforcement, including full arrest and detainment and near-immunity from prosecution. They answer *only* to the company, so long as the company does not order them to do anything that is *outright illegal*.
Because they do NOT have the current man-power pool in their enforcement police to deal with this, and there has likely been a decision from higher to not confront it for fear of litigation...it IS LA after all.

My Lone Star quip was mostly Sarcasm, but you can replace that with a RL org like Black Water. It would give them highly trained security operators who come highly recommended by DoD.
 

ShadowArxxy

Well-known member
Comrade
Actually, if you read other articles, they *have* been scaling up their railway police operations in response to the situation, as well as increasing their cooperation with LAPD and other local police forces. The DA holds a lot of the cards, but by no means all of them.

And given charges are being dismissed within 24 hours, it is clearly a priority for the DA to let these thieves out.

Per the letter reproduced in your link, the charges aren't being dismissed within 24 hours, they're being released within 24 hours due to the no-monetary bail rules and then subsequently allowed to plead guilty to petty misdemeanors that only carry fines.
 

Wargamer08

Well-known member
There's a very easy solution to fixing this: hire a "security firm" and tell them anything goes in the defense of the trains. (I mean mercenaries by the way)
First piece of bad press, sinks everyone involved. This is another brinksmanship play by the political left, the best to deal with it isn't to break the law and give them a free win. It's to refuse service, take the loss and watch the follow on effects.
 

The Whispering Monk

Well-known member
Osaul
the best to deal with it isn't to break the law and give them a free win. It's to refuse service, take the loss and watch the follow on effects.
I agree. California is NOT the place to try this WITHOUT having some major support from the local citizenry. It's likely to blow up in your face.

Now, armed security in Texas shoots scads of looters and criminals with rubber bullets before apprehending them...that'd just be good times. Plus, you'd have scores of locals volunteering to help.
 
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Typhonis

Well-known member
First piece of bad press, sinks everyone involved. This is another brinksmanship play by the political left, the best to deal with it isn't to break the law and give them a free win. It's to refuse service, take the loss and watch the follow on effects.
What are the follow on effects if UP pulls from LA County?
 

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