The plan: Park a semitrailer truck loaded with goods on a Chicago side street as a lure for thieves.
The goal: Strike back against freight thefts that have plagued the crime-ridden area.
The outcome: Totally awry.
A Norfolk Southern official has apologized to Chicagoans, saying the operation “eroded trust between law enforcement and the community.”
The apology, in the form of a letter to the editor of the Chicago Tribune published Sunday and also sent to Trains News Wire, came after a public outcry when the sting operation, using a “bait truck,” was exposed by a community activist’s video.
The video, posted on Facebook, appears to show Chicago police arresting one man after he allegedly broke into the truck in the Englewood neighborhood, about a half-mile south of Norfolk Southern’s South Side rail yard.
But the video was immediately criticized as entrapment by community residents, an alderman, a mayoral candidate and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said his department, which did not plan the sting but cooperated with Norfolk Southern police officers, would review its handling of the matter “to see if it can be done better.”
Burglary charges against three men arrested in the sting have reportedly been dropped by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office.
In the letter, Herbert Smith, the railroad’s manager of community and legislative relations in Illinois, Iowa and Michigan, said: “We sincerely regret that our actions caused further unease, and we don’t plan to use this method in the future.”
Area residents “deserve more context about this operation,” Smith wrote, which he said was in direct response to ongoing thefts from containers and trailers in the area.
The “bait” trailer in this case was loaded with running shoes, but previous break-ins have included thefts of guns and ammunition that remained in the crime-ridden community, Smith wrote.
“At the time, local residents and officials told us we needed to do more to prevent this, and we responded. … (B)ut unfortunately thefts continue,” the letter continued. Nationally, the FBI estimates that $27 million of freight is stolen in transit annually, he said.
Smith concluded by saying that Norfolk Southern officials “welcome a dialogue with the community, and we already have reached out to local officials to discuss how best to prevent freight theft, improve community relations and rebuild mutual trust.”
James Blustein, thanks for your input. Well sad,
Bob Crowe & Jeff Connors – grow up.
Mr. Shigley: You’ve nailed it perfectly, and without the inflammatory political sniping.
Same goes for you, Mr. Landry. You’re spot-on until you start demonizing democrats. Off to Guse/Hays Land with you.
Robert McGuire: I was with you 100% until your gratuitous, pejorative use of the work “liberal.” How about if you go join Mr. Hays and Mr. Guse in TRAINS NEWSWIRE limbo.
Another victim of our politically correct times.
Re Charles Landey: Your post is nothing but BS in blaming crime on Democrats and Liberals. Take your warped political agenda elsewhere.
One wonders if this “bait truck” effort would have been planned in another community with the city. Read: not black and not impoverished.
I am betting no. Why even do this away from the Englewood Yard when it is a full-time job protecting the goods there? Back in the 1980s Conrail helped accelerate the demise of the Michigan Avenue and Wabash Avenue on and off ramps from the Chicago Skyway that went directly over the yard. People were using the ramps to repel down into the yard. I lived nearby and it was scary to drive past at night when you knew people were up to no good.
What Bull Shit! Lock them up! What’s the difference between a bait truck and your truck. If it’s theft it’s theft! The community should be happy about it!
Same deal in Seattle, Frisco, Smell-A, KC, St Louis, New York, Boston, Philly and wherever else the politcs are controlled by the Democrat plantation machine.
Chicago has always been a magnet for trucking thefts. Using a ‘bait truck” should not be opposed by residents, unless they too, are beneficiaries of the theft. Unless Chicago residents begin cooperating with authorities by revealing the criminals, all they can expect is more killings, et al. I applaud NS and Chicago authorities in trying to get this scum off the city streets!
Count on the American Criminal Lovers Union to show up when a crook is arrested. Crime leads to violence like Chitown doesn’t have enough.
Yes because after all I really am concerned about earning the trust of thieves.
I agree with Gerald McFarLane. Get a “real” truck making a revenue trip, but load it up with railroad police. That way, it would not be a trap, it would be an actual revenue trip that was heavily protected by law enforcement.
Conrail did something this over 30 years ago in Chicago. False room with law enforcement in front of trailer with goods.
What a sad commentary on P C running “amuck”.
If the property is not their’s and they are taking it,then they are thieves and should be arrested;end of story! It is shameful that Norfolk Southern backed down and apologized to criminals. This only does more to legitimize unlawful behavior in what has become an unlawful city. It’s a sad commentary on the times in the city of Chicago.
It’s a pity NS doesn’t have the backbone to stand up to the politically correct crowd who make excuses for those who commit crimes. Theft is theft and should be prosecuted.
Every single person who complained about this should have their home broken into and every single thing they own stolen. They would change their tune then.
Should be, it is one of the safest big cities in the country now. Sorry for the typo.
One thing I did agree with former New York mayor Giuliani, if you let small things go they grow into bigger things in the neighborhood. Stealing is no small thing. He really cleaned my former home and birthplace New York City, It was one of the safest big cities in the country. Feel sad for Chicago, which I also love. It was a far different city in the 80’s and 90’s.
Trap them all ! Then book-em Dano.
No need to worry about the Russians, the Chinese, or terrorists. PC and the far left will be our doom.
I’m not sure that qualifies as entrapment…most sting operations would then be prohibited as they use the same tactics. Perhaps instead of parking the trailer in the neighborhood they could just hire a driver to drive it around and pretend like he was making deliveries to non-existent customers and see if the same thing happens, then it would be a legitimate sting operation and no one could complain(though they still would).
P.S. Kenneth Attenhofer…Chicago is a city, there fore it can’t be third world state, but it can be third world city.
NS should have prosecuted the hell out of the thief and they should have publicly said “do the crime, do the time”. If anyone dares to steal from trucks again they might be just like that thief.
NS should stop bowing to those ACLU people.
Its a damn shame when you apologize for catching a thief..