The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office has created the Rail Auxiliary Team, or “RAT Pack,” an all-volunteer force that keeps an eye on the rails Washoe County and in nearby Storey County.
Richard Gent, Rail Auxiliary Team Leader for the sheriff’s office and state coordinator for Operation Lifesaver, tells Trains News Wire there are about 120 volunteers.
The volunteers go through an 8-hour course to learn about railroad operations, safety and how to effectively report suspicious activity along the rails. Gent says volunteers will periodically check crossings and the tracks during the course of their day and call local law enforcement and the railroad if they see something out-of-the-ordinary. The volunteers are reminded that they themselves should never go on railroad property. The volunteers can also participate in monthly education opportunities.
Gent says the program has been successful. Prior to the establishment of the program, Washoe County had about three trespasser-related incidents annually; now it’s down to one, according to Gent.
“Railroad special agents (can’t be everywhere), they’re few and far between,” Gent says. “If you have a train traveling at 60 miles per hour going towards a bridge with a trespasser on it, every second counts.”
Why can’t we stop the graffiti vandals? With that kind of time left unchecked they could do a lot more damage if they wanted to. i guess it’s one more symbol of a deteriorating society.
Are the first members named Frank, Dean, Peter, Sammy, and Joey?
I seems like the safest and best way volunteers can be useful is to take a picture of trespassers from a legal location and safe distance from the trespasser, getting a view of their faces, then anonymously turn these over to the proper authority along with location information
Will this include watching out for grafitti vandals?
Gary’s comment reminds me of a warning given to and by a train crew. When local authorities arrive. Do Not Give your name, identify by employee number. Incident reports are public info and the person giving this advice said he has known of strangers creating harassment due to their name being public. Fatal train crashes are big news and to have no fault yet be harassed is sad. The crew has already suffered enough grief over the loss of life, no fault of their own endmrw0408191756PO
A glorified, specific purposed neighborhood watch, on they don’t live in the neighborhood?
Yah, point out the wrong people or person and get your butt sued.
Warren and Jim, you obviously didn’t read the article very well, the whole point is for these people to OBSERVE and REPORT, that’s it, nothing more…it’s a take on the Federal “If you see something, say something” campaign, only with training.
I agree with Jim Norton, there’s no way these volunteer heroes are going to approach anyone who looks the least bit sketchy. These sheep are apt to become victims of something themselves.
In today’s world , policing is best done politely and while armed…
Translated: Easy targets i.e, pedestrians and photographers will be harassed. All others will still have their wide open and unchallenged access granted to them.
They really need to re-think that acronym.