Police to Ride With Caltrain Engineers for Safety Event May 18

WHAT:

Caltrain’s transit police will conduct an Officer on the Train event in conjunction with three Peninsula police agencies. Officers and the news media can ride a special train to observe police at grade crossings enforcing railroad-related motor vehicle and pedestrian laws as the train travels between Redwood City and Menlo Park.

A new mailer also will be unveiled which is being sent to neighbors near the Caltrain tracks enlisting them in a public awareness campaign called Railroad Watch. The mailer, which includes a refrigerator magnet with Caltrain’s emergency telephone number, asks neighbors and passengers to be an extra set of eyes and ears and call police to report dangerous or suspicious activity on the tracks.

WHO:

Speakers will include:
Mike Nevin, Caltrain board chairman
Art Lloyd, member of the boards, Caltrain and California Operation Lifesaver
Captain Jim Martino, Amtrak Police Department

Officers who will be participating in the event include Caltrain’s transit police, as well as officers from the cities of Redwood City, Menlo Park and Atherton.

WHEN:

Wednesday, May 18

WHERE:

At 8:45 a.m., there will be a brief news conference at the Redwood City Caltrain Station, at Broadway and Middlefield Road, in advance of the train’s arrival.

Boarding will be on the northbound platform and the train will depart promptly at 9:10 a.m., returning to Redwood City at approximately 10 a.m.

WHY:

The Officer on the Train event is held as part of the national effort to focus on rail safety education through Operation Lifesaver, Inc. By riding with the engineer, local police gain a better understanding of how long it takes to stop a train and an appreciation of the importance of partnerships with local enforcement in preventing needless injuries and deaths.

5/16/05