Train robbery for Amazon packages? More common than you think
Freight trains carrying Amazon and other retail cargo in the US, especially around Los Angeles, are increasingly being looted, with thieves stopping or boarding slow-moving trains and ripping open containers to grab packages. Commenters debate how much of this is organized crime versus opportunistic theft by unhoused or marginalised people, and whether the root causes lie in inequality and homelessness, weak enforcement, or railroads’ cost-cutting choices such as mile‑long trains with minimal staffing. Others question whether the problem is being exaggerated for political or corporate reasons, and argue over appropriate responses—from better security and private railroad police to social policy changes and sentencing reform.
Nature and scale of the train thefts
- Some had imagined quiet night-time yard theft; the article’s description of cutting brake hoses and stopping trains in motion surprised many as far more brazen.
- Others point out that much of the theft seems more mundane: people grabbing boxes from slow or stopped trains, or picking up “fallen” packages near tracks.
Organization vs opportunism
- A key statistic: only ~5% of those arrested in one task force were tied to organized crews.
- Multiple commenters stress this is “5% of arrestees,” not 5% of thefts or value stolen. Professionals may steal more per person and get caught less.
- Debate over whether that 5% number is being misinterpreted or softened in reporting; concerns about “lying with statistics.”
Legal definitions and consequences
- Clarifications: theft vs burglary vs robbery; trespass on railway property adds additional offenses.
- Strong disagreement on how harsh penalties should be:
- Some advocate much tougher consequences (including “three strikes” style reasoning).
- Others cite evidence that long sentences have weak deterrent effect versus certainty of being caught, and worry about over-incarceration.
Railroad operations and responsibility
- Many argue long, understaffed trains and dismantled railroad police/security have made theft easy.
- Railroads can have their own police with arrest powers, but staffing has reportedly been cut; some think companies are offloading their security costs onto public law enforcement and insurance.
- Counterpoint: firms act when insurance and loss costs justify it; current losses may still be cheaper than serious security.
Socioeconomic drivers vs individual blame
- One side emphasizes homelessness, marginalization, and inequality as major drivers; suggests reducing homelessness would cut much of this crime.
- Others respond that crime also comes from non-poor, that poverty reduction won’t “eliminate” theft, and that law enforcement is a prerequisite for opportunity.
- Dispute over whether the NYT and others over-attribute crime to inequality.
Security proposals and practicality
- Suggested measures range from more staff, cameras, drones, better locks, shorter trains, and railroad police, to extreme/absurd ideas like armed turrets.
- Pushback that lethal force to protect packages is disproportionate and legally dubious.
- Some skepticism that highly visible train theft is being overstated relative to total container volume and other loss modes.