OIG: Amtrak needs to better define police department's role, priorities

Amtrak has not reached a consensus on the role and priorities of its police department, Amtrak's Office of Inspector General (OIG) found in a new report released earlier this month.

In addition, the railroad can't ensure that the department is of the right size and composition to meet its needs, the report stated.

Amtrak has improved oversight of the its police department, such as establishing a security steering committee and approving a railroad-wide security strategy for fiscal-year 2020, OIG officials said in a press release.

However, Amtrak executive leadership has not resolved all issues related to the Amtrak Police Department's role and priorities, they said. For example, Amtrak officials have debated whether officers should provide a more visible presence on trains or in stations, and whether the department should focus on traditional policing or improving the rider experience.

In recent years, Amtrak has increased and decreased the police department's size without fully assessing the railroad's risks and needs. As a result, the OIG developed a list of eight key practices for rail police management to guide its department analysis, including a process for determining the size of a rail police department.

To address its findings in its report, the OIG recommended that Amtrak determine and formalize the full scope of the police department's role and priorities, then develop and employ a data-driven, risk-based process to determine the department's optimal size.

Additionally, the OIG recommended Amtrak officials examine the potential use of alternative staff across the department to determine appropriate staffing composition and reevaluate goals and metrics to ensure they align with the Amtrak Police Department's established role and priorities.