Law Enforcement Strategies for Reducing Trespassing – Pilot Program

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, under the direction of the U.S. DOT’s Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Research, Development, and Technology, evaluated the impacts of a program for four law enforcement agencies to perform trespassing enforcement activities on railroad rights-of-way (ROW). In all the communities, the project allowed law enforcement agencies to dedicate resources to rail trespassing enforcement. Most communities saw a decrease in the number of trespassers encountered per patrol as proceeded, indicating a positive reduction in the number of trespassers along the ROW. Some communities reported other benefits to the program such as supporting the enforcement of other illegal activity and gaining a better understanding of trespassing frequency.