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  • Railroad police powers in Minnesota?

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in the American Midwest, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas. For questions specific to a railroad company, please seek the appropriate forum.
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in the American Midwest, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas. For questions specific to a railroad company, please seek the appropriate forum.

Moderator: railohio

 #982700  by murt
 
I have read that Minnesota does not grant railroad police authority, however railroad police generally receive federal authority-correct me here if I'm wrong- so would someone in the know explain to me what exactly they can do in Minnesota?
Can they enforce federal laws only, and not state laws?
 #982735  by Freddy
 
From what I know about CSX and the former Seaboard police, their powers are only good on company property. If they went to somebodys house whether employee or civilian they had to
have a local officer to do the arrest. That's why you never see a CSX Jail House.
 #982833  by mtuandrew
 
Some other sources for the discussion:
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Railroad_police - one poster refers to a CN police officer serving in Minnesota whose authority has not been challenged by the state

-http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,16231 - another reference to Minnesota, where the poster (secondhand from a UP police officer serving in Minnesota) claims that Minnesota will recognize the authority of railroad police when convenient for the State

-https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id ... &year=2009 - authority of peace officers from states adjoining Minnesota

-https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes?id= ... &year=2009 and https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes?id= ... &year=2009 - authority of railroad employees to make arrests under certain limited conditions, as long as the prisoner is ultimately relinquished to a peace officer's custody.


Also, I ran across a picture of a DM&IR railroad policeman's badge, recently sold here: http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/d ... -127021027. That line was almost entirely within the state of Minnesota, so unless the Missabe stationed all of its policemen on the short section of track in Wisconsin, it's a fair assumption that the state has tolerated railroad policemen for at least 75 years (as listed on the ad.)


Finally, if anyone wants a job as an illegal policeman :grin:, here you go: http://www.policeone.com/careers/454093 ... eapolis-MN