Interesting, Politics, Safety

Freight trains in Los Angeles looted daily by thieves

Posted on by Kelly McCarthy

Dozens of freight cars are broken into every day on Los Angeles’ railways by thieves who take advantage of the trains’ stops to loot packages bought online, leaving thousands of gutted boxes and products that will never reach their destinations.

Many major U.S. mail order and courier companies such as Amazon, Target, UPS and FedEx are being hit by the thefts, which have exploded in recent months.

The thieves wait until the long freight trains mostly owned by Union Pacific are immobilized on the tracks, and then climb onto the freight containers, whose locks they easily break with the help of bolt cutters.

They then help themselves to parcels, ditching any products that are difficult to move or resell, or are too cheap, such as COVID-19 test kits, furniture or medications.

“While criminals are being caught and arrested, charges are reduced to a misdemeanor or petty offense, and the person is back on the streets in less than 24 hours after paying a nominal fine,” said a spokesperson for the rail operator.

“In fact, criminals boast to our officers that there are no consequences,” he said.

Thanks, Gavin. You are a disgrace to California and to the whole United States who are depending on these packages making it to their final destination.