Policing and Public Transportation
Public transportation agencies strive to offer accessible, clean, courteous, and safe service for their customers. Agencies police their stations and other facilities to enforce applicable laws, and the agencies’ rules and codes of conduct, that prohibit, inter alia, threats to the safety of passengers and others, trespassing, and vandalism. Some public transportation agencies have a dedicated police force, but many rely on a municipal or other local police force for law enforcement. When a public transportation agency operates in more than one jurisdiction, its policing may require the coordination of multiple police forces. A public transportation agency’s policing must comport with constitutional requirements, and with other applicable laws, that govern how an agency’s police force must conduct searches, gather evidence, or make arrests. This digest is a comprehensive analysis of constitutional issues that apply to the policing of public transportation systems. It discusses organizational structures and contracts to provide effective policing of premises and vehicles; addresses legal issues that may confront public transportation agencies, such as fare evasion or the use or occupancy of stations by people experiencing homelessness; and analyzes how public transportation agencies use public relations as part of their community outreach to improve their policing. By summarizing current laws and practices that apply to policing by public transportation agencies, the digest is a resource and a guide for lawmakers, public transportation agencies, police forces, and attorneys. Transportation administrators, law enforcement administrators and officers, transportation attorneys, transportation consultants, and public relations officers should find the digest informative and beneficial.
- Record URL:
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Authors:
- Thomas, Larry W
- Publication Date: 2022-7
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Features: Appendices;
- Pagination: 57p
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Serial:
- TCRP Legal Research Digest
- Issue Number: 58
- Publisher: Transportation Research Board
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Law enforcement; Laws; Legal factors; Police powers; Public transit; State of the practice; Transit safety
- Subject Areas: Law; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01851954
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: TCRP Project J-5, Topic 20-03
- Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
- Created Date: Jul 20 2022 4:26PM