(The following article by Enid Arbelo was posted on the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle website on October 24.)
EAST ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The East Rochester Police Department and CSX Transportation worked together Thursday to help reduce trespassing on railroad tracks and increase public safety.
A special railroad track enforcement team helped the police department concentrate on problem areas such as along East and West Maple Street.
East Rochester Police Chief David Pugliese said he is hopeful that the message will get out.
Ten trespassing arrests, one of which was also a drug arrest, were made in less than two hours. Most trespassers will be charged with third-degree criminal trespassing.
Right now, the department apprehends trespassers during daily patrol. Pugliese said the railroad tracks would be a focus of police “quite frequently.”
The police have visited schools and participated in Operation Lifesaver, a nationwide nonprofit railroad safety program.
“That doesn’t seem to be working as well as I thought it would,” Pugliese said. “So we are going to the enforcement part of it.”
Pugliese said now it is up to the residents to do the right thing.
Officer David Franz said laziness often drives people to cut through the railroad tracks at Main and East Maple streets.
“The ground is worn in where they cross all the time,” Franz said. “It’s a hot spot.”
Last week 14 trespassing arrests were made, two of which were juveniles and one of which was also a drug arrest.
“We need the adults to set examples for these kids,” Pugliese said.
The parents of juveniles who are caught trespassing receive a letter and the officers explain to the children why trespassing on the tracks is unsafe.
In the past 25 years, there have been about 15 fatalities along the railroad.
“I don’t want any more injuries or fatalities up there,” Pugliese said. “Unfortunately, I’ve seen too many in my career.”