ABSTRACT
In today's environment, with terrorist attacks against all forms of transportation and physical infrastructure possible or even likely, the role of railroad policing has been transformed. While traditional roles of railroad police remain – largely surveillance of the physical plant and railroad equipment and guarding against individuals trespassing on railroad property – a new role is emerging: protecting against the possibility of terrorist attacks, and responding to threats and actual catastrophic events. Threats to information technology capabilities are routinely tracked by security units within IT departments, but when criminal activities are suspected, specialized railroad police units are included in the investigations. A special weapons and tactics unit was created, but, because of the specialized skillsets required, it reported to Office of Strategic Security and Special Opera (OSSO) and outside of the Amtrak Police Department.
