Union Pacific Weighs Avoiding Los Angeles as Cargo Theft Rises

Union Pacific is considering changes to rail operations including avoiding Los Angeles County as a rise of cargo theft in the area hurts business.

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{snip} Theft is adding to the multitude of logistical headaches that have slowed the movement of goods to American store shelves and factory warehouses to such a degree that the White House felt pressure to get involved.

UP is calling on local law-enforcement officials to prosecute more aggressively.

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“Customers like UPS and FedEx that utilize our essential rail service during peak holiday season are now seeking to divert rail business away to other areas in the hope of avoiding the organized and opportunistic criminal theft that has impacted their own business and customers,” UP public affairs director Adrian Guerrero wrote in a Dec. 20 letter to the Los Angeles district attorney.

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In the three months leading up to the holiday shopping season, UP said an average of more than 90 containers were compromised per day and more than 100 arrests were made. “Of all those arrests, however, UP has not been contacted for any court proceedings,” the letter stated.

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