Since December 2020, an average of 90 containers a day have been burglarized, Union Pacific said.
Shredded boxes and packages and debris are strewn along at a section of the Union Pacific train tracks in downtown Los Angeles Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. By Rachel Uranga and Richard Winton, The Los Angeles Times
Moore said that on Thursday, the day Gov. Gavin Newsom showed up to help bag debris and decry the thefts, the LAPD arrested six people who had been under surveillance for crimes related to the train break-ins.The issue gained national attention earlier this month as images of the debris left on the Union Pacific tracks by thieves went viral. But that did not stop the stealing, Moore said.
Robynn Tysver, a spokeswoman for the 160-year-old railroad, said Union Pacific has brought in dozens of special agents to help and “will continue to monitor and clean up the tracks.” She declined to comment on the stealing of firearms from the containers. “It is very telling that other major railroad operations in the area are not facing the same level of theft at their facilities as UP [Union Pacific],” Gascón said in a letter Friday. “We can ensure that appropriate cases are filed and prosecuted; however, my office is not tasked with keeping your sites secure and the district attorney alone cannot solve the major issues facing your organization.