Railroad Police Department

The Police Team is the law enforcement division of the Resource Protection Team.  Railroad police are provided police authority from State and Local governments and are authorized interstate authority by the Federal government.  Our community is best described as being 22,000 miles long and 100 feet wide, crisscrossing hundreds of  local and state jurisdictions along the way.  Railroad police are active in all forms of police duties and at GLE police analyze statistical data to discover crime trends, use K-9 units and proactive uniformed patrol to combat trespass and cargo thefts, and actively participate with other police agencies to investigate crimes committed on railroad property.

[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
[CITE: 49CFR207]

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TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
PART 207--RAILROAD POLICE OFFICERS--Table of Contents


Sec.
207.1 Application.
207.2 Definitions.
207.3 Designation and commissioning.
207.4 Notice to State officials.
207.5 Authority in States where officer not commissioned.

Authority: 45 U.S.C. 446; 49 CFR 1.49(ff).

Source: 59 FR 6587, Feb. 11, 1994, unless otherwise noted.

Sec. 207.1 Application.

This part applies to all railroads, as such term is defined in section 202(e) of the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970, as amended, 
Public Law 91-458 (45 U.S.C. 431(e)).

Sec. 207.2 Definitions.

As used in this part:
(a) Railroad police officer means a peace officer who is commissioned in his or her state of legal residence or state of primary employment and employed by a railroad to enforce state laws for the protection of railroad property, personnel, passengers, and/or cargo.
(b) Commissioned means that a state official has certified or otherwise designated a railroad employee as qualified under the licensing requirements of that state to act as a railroad police officer in that state.
(c) Property means rights-of-way, easements, appurtenant property, equipment, cargo, facilities, and buildings and other structures owned, leased, operated, maintained, or transported by a railroad.

Sec. 207.3 Designation and commissioning.

(a) A railroad may designate employees to be commissioned by a state authority as railroad police officers to serve in the states in which the railroad owns property.

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(b) The designated railroad police officer shall be commissioned by the railroad police officer's state of legal residence or the railroad police officer's state of primary employment.

Sec. 207.4 Notice to State officials.

(a) After the designated railroad police officer is commissioned by a state or states, the railroad shall send, by certified mail, written notice to appropriate officials of every other state in which the railroad police officer shall protect the railroad's property, personnel, passengers, and cargo. The notice of commission shall contain the following information:
(1) The name of the railroad police officer;
(2) The badge number, identification number, rank, code, or other identifying information assigned to the railroad police officer;
(3) The date of commission;
(4) The state or states where the railroad police officer is commissioned;
(5) The date the railroad police officer received training or retraining regarding the laws of such state or states;
(6) The name of the railroad official who designated the employee as a railroad police officer; and
(7) Color photographs of the types of badges, identification cards, and other identifying materials the railroad uses to identify its railroad police officers.
(b) The railroad shall keep copies of all such notices at a central location.
(c) The authority set forth in Sec. 207.5 shall be effective upon receipt by such state(s) of written notice conforming to the requirements of this section.

Sec. 207.5 Authority in States where officer not commissioned.

(a) A railroad police officer who is designated by a railroad and commissioned under the laws of any state is authorized to enforce the laws (as specified in paragraph (b) of this section) of any state in which the railroad owns property and to which the railroad has provided notice in accordance with Sec. 207.4.
(b) Under the authority of paragraph (a) of this section, a railroad police officer may enforce only relevant laws for the protection of--

(1) The railroad's employees, passengers, or patrons;
(2) The railroad's property or property entrusted to the railroad for transportation purposes;
(3) The intrastate, interstate, or foreign movement of cargo in the railroad's possession or in possession of another railroad or non-rail carrier while on the railroad property; and
(4) The railroad movement of personnel, equipment, and materials vital to the national defense.
(c) The authority exercised under this part by an officer for whom the railroad has provided notice in accordance with Sec. 207.4 shall be the same as that of a railroad police officer commissioned under the laws of that state.
(d) The railroad police officer's law enforcement powers shall apply only on railroad property, except that an officer may pursue off railroad property a person suspected of violating the law on railroad property, and an officer may engage off railroad property in law enforcement activities, including, without limitation, investigation and arrest, if permissible under state law.