24 Police Agencies To Join Caltrain For Safety Crackdown May 30

WHO:
Law enforcement agencies from every community along the Caltrain corridor from San Francisco to Gilroy will participate with Caltrain’s transit police in a concentrated Rail Safety Day, to target rail-related violations.

WHAT:
Transit police will hold a briefing for law enforcement and the news media about the day’s activities. Afterward, journalists are invited to accompany officers to enforcement areas. Rail Safety Day focuses on vehicle and trespasser violations on the railroad’s right of way by increasing an enforcement presence at areas where violations are likely to occur.

WHEN:
6 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, May 30, 2007.

WHERE:
The news briefing will be held at 6 a.m. at the Mountain View Caltrain Station at Castro Street and West Evelyn Avenue.

Police will be stationed at Caltrain crossings in the communities that are participating in Rail Safety Day. Officers also will patrol areas near the railroad tracks where trespassing by pedestrians and bicyclists has been observed, as well as in cities where there are no grade crossings.

WHY:
Caltrain’s Rail Safety Day is part of the railroad’s observance of the national Operation Lifesaver awareness campaign held every year in May. Caltrain has asked jurisdictions along the rail corridor to participate in the enforcement crackdown to reinforce to motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists the importance of obeying rail-related laws. Rail Safety Day also will reinforce, for police who have been through Operation Lifesaver training, activities that are illegal, including trespassing on railroad property, stopping on railroad tracks or driving/walking around lowered crossing gates. Violators can receive fines approaching $400.

At the conclusion of the morning exercise, Caltrain will gather statistics about the number and types of citations issued.

Participating agencies (north to south):
Amtrak; San Francisco Police Department; San Francisco Community College; South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, Menlo Park, Atherton, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, San Jose, Morgan Hill and Gilroy police departments; San Mateo County Sheriff’s Transit Unit; Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department (VTA); California Highway Patrol; and Union Pacific Railroad.

05/29/07 - jrm
Media Contact: Jonah Weinberg – 650.508.6238