Guns stolen from rail cars spark LAPD concern

Weapons are among the many gadgets which have been stolen from cargo containers on railroad tracks in Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore mentioned Monday.

“Individuals had been … breaking into these containers and stealing firearms, tens of firearms,” Moore instructed the Police Fee. “That gave us the nice concern as a supply once more of additional violence within the metropolis as folks had been capitalizing on the transport of those containers with having little or no policing or safety providers there.”

Moore mentioned that on Thursday, the day Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed as much as assist bag particles and decry the thefts, the LAPD arrested six individuals who had been below surveillance for crimes associated to the practice break-ins.

The problem gained nationwide consideration earlier this month as photographs of the particles left on the Union Pacific tracks by thieves went viral. However that didn’t cease the stealing, Moore mentioned.

“Regardless of all the eye delivered to this, and regardless of the continuing efforts by Union Pacific to unravel some further safety components, we nonetheless have folks which might be nonetheless drawn to this location,” he mentioned.

Union Pacific runs about 275 miles of tracks in Los Angeles County, the place since December 2020 a median of 90 containers a day have been burglarized, in accordance with the corporate. Most of these have occurred in two rail yards, together with the one in Lincoln Heights.

Robynn Tysver, a spokeswoman for the 160-year-old railroad, mentioned Union Pacific has introduced in dozens of particular brokers to assist and “will proceed to observe and clear up the tracks.” She declined to touch upon the stealing of firearms from the containers.

The thefts set off a volley of accusations final week between Union Pacific and Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón.

After the railroad firm mentioned the theft drawback was made worse by Gascón’s strategy to prosecuting legal offenders, the district lawyer chastised Union Pacific for having poor safety.

“It is rather telling that different main railroad operations within the space will not be dealing with the identical degree of theft at their amenities as UP,” Gascón mentioned in a letter Friday. “We are able to make sure that acceptable circumstances are filed and prosecuted; nevertheless, my workplace is just not tasked with preserving your websites safe and the district lawyer alone can not clear up the main points dealing with your group.”

Gascón mentioned that since 2019, legislation enforcement companies have introduced 181 circumstances to the D.A.’s workplace for prosecution, together with 47 final yr. In about half of the 2021 circumstances, his workplace filed felony or misdemeanor fees of housebreaking, theft and receiving of stolen property. The remainder had been declined both resulting from lack of proof or as a result of the offenses concerned low-level drug possession or homelessness.

In keeping with Moore, Union Pacific has agreed to extra common cleanings of the realm, however the truth that the particles was left for therefore lengthy created a “free-for-all,” he mentioned.

He mentioned the LAPD is working with the Division of Transportation on bodily enhancements to the Lincoln Heights web site that may deter would-be rail burglars.