Amtrak police force cuts prompt lawmakers' security concerns

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and dozens of other U.S. congressmen want to know why Amtrak is reportedly planning to reduce the size of its police force by 20 percent over the next several years.

In a letter sent yesterday to Amtrak President and Chief Executive Office Richard Anderson, DeFazio and 52 other House members expressed concern that the possible Amtrak Police Department (APD) cuts "could undermine the safety and security of the entire system."

The letter asks Anderson to explain Amtrak's justification for the proposed reduction in the security workforce, and noted that Amtrak failed to provide Congress with sufficient information about the plan before moving forward.

Amtrak's police force is key to ensuring the safety and security of the railroad's passengers, employees, infrastructure and the communities through which Amtrak trains travel, the letter stated.

"Unlike other transportation modes that operate in contained spaces, Amtrak’s sprawling network consists of open and accessible track and stations across 46 states," the House members wrote. "Protecting this intricate network requires expertise that provide for expedient response times that help Amtrak’s passengers feel safe while also minimizing delays that could have cascading effects on service."

Others signing the letter included U.S. Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.), who chairs the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials.

The letter notes that the House members were "alarmed" when the Amtrak Fraternal Order of Police Labor Committee (FOP), which represents the railroad's police officers, informed them that the railroad plans to eliminate 100 police workforce positions, starting June 1.

Amtrak is authorized to employ 454 commissioned officers, according to the letter. The force reduction would come on top of 23 vacant commissioned officer positions, the lawmakers wrote.

"In response to committee staff questions, Amtrak indicated that they are reviewing where the APD forces are needed most and how to increase their visibility – particularly on trains. While visibility is widely accepted as a deterrent to those contemplating committing violence, it is unclear to us how reducing the overall number of sworn officers will increase their physical presence," the letter stated.

In addition, Amtrak's plan runs counter to congressional efforts to improve passenger-rail security, the lawmakers wrote, noting that the House is considering a fiscal-year 2020 transportation spending bill that would prohibit funds from being used to reduce the size of Amtrak's police force below what it was on May 1.

"Moreover, we know passenger rail systems remain a target of mass attacks, demonstrated by previous attacks on international passenger rail systems, including the August 2015 attack on a high-speed train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris. Now is not the time to reduce Amtrak’s security presence," the letter stated.

In a statement issued this morning, Amtrak acknowledged that it is evaluating "appropriate staffing levels" for the safety and security of passengers and Amtrak employees.

"As part of this evaluation, we anticipate adjusting some of our staffing size and deployment levels, including increasing the presence of officers onboard trains," an Amtrak spokeswoman said in an email. "We have been working closely with the Fraternal Order of Police to ensure we have the right number of APD officers in the right locations. We are offering relocation and voluntary separation incentives to APD staff. We do not anticipate any furloughs or layoffs."