(The following story by Ben Barkley appeared on the Leesville Daily Leader website on March 6.)
LEESVILLE, La. — After several years and hundreds of complaints, Leesville Chief of Police Bobby D. Hickman has taken a suggestion from a local businessman in dealing with the Kansas City Southern railroad.
In the next few days, signs will be posted listing phone numbers of the KCS Trainmaster and Railroad Operations. Motorists who are waiting near the crossed blocking and who have cell phones will have several numbers to call and complain.
“We are not shrinking our duty to the public, only hoping the voice of the people will get more attention,” Hickman said.
The police department receives dozens of complaints each week from motorists who are delayed at one of the cities six rail crossings.
“Citizens and business owners approach me often and complain about the 30 to 45 minute delays at the track,” Hickman said. “Police and other emergency vehicles routinely have to be re-routed around the crossings, adding critical minutes to response time.”
The city has an ordinance on the books prohibiting the train from blocking the roadway for more than 15 minutes. After citing KCS three times for violating the law, Hickman was “slapped” with a Federal Court injunction preventing him of his officers from enforcing the local ordinance. The court ruled in favor of KCS, stating that local laws and law enforcement could not interrupt interstate commerce.
“I have written KCS management many times,” Hickman said. “The mayor’s office has also written letters and hosted meetings with KCS trying to resolve the issue. The situation never improves, we listen to the excuses and so called explanations, then we still sit and wait 20, 30 and 45 minutes, while the rail crossings are blocked.
“We have heard company officials tell of longer trains due to the KCS having to pick up the load for other failing train lines,” Hickman continued. “In the meantime, the only thing picking up speed in Leesville with regard to the railroad is their profit margin.”
Hickman said the signs being posted is not against the local facility.
“We certainly do not hold this against the blue-collar workers of the KCS. They have always tried to help law enforcement and emergency services,” he said. “This is strictly a management problem. The employees running the trains and manning the switches have no choice in the workload they are given.”
Hickman hopes that when the signs are posted, enough citizens will log their complaints directly with the railroad.
“Someone would take the problem seriously then,” he said.