Union Pacific has sent cleanup crews to help with the miles of trash from boxes left behind by suspected cargo thieves. Ted Chen reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m.on Jan. 17, 2022.
Cleanup work continued on Monday on miles of trash along the Union Pacific Railroad in Lincoln Heights, in the same area where one of its trains derailed over the weekend.
Union Pacific sent crews to clean up the trash as it was meeting with the city to try to put a stop to it, but both sides seem to be pointing the finger at the other.
The trains kept running as crews cleaned up miles of trash along the railroad in Lincoln Heights, with the likelihood more trash would replace it, as long as more cargo keeps getting stolen.
Just this year, the area became part of the district of LA City council member and mayoral candidate Kevin Deleon who is now trying to put a stop to the cargo thieves.
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Union Pacific Railroad says thefts had tripled in October from year to year and blamed criminal justice reforms for putting thieves back in circulation. but Deleon says it’s the railroad’s responsibility to protect the shipments.
“This is a multi billion dollar corporation with their own police unit, their own police force so they really have to step up,” Deleon said.
In a statement, Union Pacific said of the cleanup, “anything that can be identified and returned to the shipper will be. Union Pacific plans to donate any salvageable items and other debris will be recycled if possible.
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The LA County District Attorney’s office says it has filed charges in some cases of stolen goods, but others haven’t had enough evidence to prosecute.
