A top Union Pacific Railroad official threatened to leave Los Angeles over the District Attorney’s progressive measures to lower criminal theft offenses amid a wave of criminal gangs looting rail cars.
Adrian Guerrero, Union Pacific’s director of public affairs, wrote a letter to LA County District Attorney George Gascón, denouncing the local government’s relaxed criminal policies, or rather “well-intentioned social justice goals,” as a catalyst for a wave of rail car thefts.
“We find ourselves coming back to the same results with the Los Angeles County criminal justice system. Criminals are caught and arrested, turned over to local authorities for booking, arraigned before local courts, charges are reduced to a misdemeanor or petty offense, and the criminal is released after paying a nominal fine,” wrote Guerrero.
He said most criminals robbing trains search for Amazon and UPS packages, are released back onto the streets within a day.
This opened package from @REI destined for Bainbridge Island, WA was taken off a train. Typing in the @UPS tracking # and it obviously lists it as “delayed.” We found lots of opened packages bound for the Northwest along this section of tracks. pic.twitter.com/dO82QoJhTT
— John Schreiber (@johnschreiber) January 13, 2022