Passenger Trains > 2 massive drug busts in 3 days Amtrak Omaha depot

http://www.omaha.com/news/crime/pounds-of-pot-found-at-omaha-train-station/article_7935b288-b059-11e7-ae9a-f77512f29efd.html

http://www.omaha.com/news/crime/fentanyl-bust-at-omaha-train-station-is-nebraska-s-biggest/article_0c3bef56-af7a-11e7-9fe9-bf375b279318.html

http://www.wowt.com/content/news/Omaha-arrest-derails-major-cross-country-drug-shipment-450625763.html


http://www.ketv.com/article/breaking-authorities-make-one-of-countrys-largest-fentanyl-seizures-in-omaha/12838327

The Amtrak station is not in the best part of town, it's especially abandoned and dark at night.

Actually, just the opposite. The depot is open 930pm-630am seven days per week. The Zephyr arrives westbound 11pm-ish and eastbound 5am-ish. It is a neutral part of town, though decaying, it is being spruced up. The adjacent Burlington depot is what you're thinking of. The local ABC TV affiliate, KETV, bought the depot and moved in 2 years ago after a massive upgrade. IIRC, it was $22 million or some such. It is beautiful now, but they're stingy on tours! BRC600

bretton88 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Amtrak station is not in the best part of
> town, it's especially abandoned and dark at night.

For regular patrons of this train, it is infuriating to receive these reports. The miscreants who keep stupidly believing that the California Zephyr is their panacea for drug trafficking...are making this train less enjoyable for the rest of us. With every new bust (now the biggest fentanyl bust ever), the [frequently overzealous] LEOs who rove around these trains will keep bothering the many to catch the few. And feel more assured with every bust that this is kosher. I am all in for keeping these drugs off the trains, but there's gotta be a better way than how they do it now.

I know that quite a few us have been hassled on the CZ by these LEOs who obviously don't always do their homework. With no record or legal entanglements, I have still been picked off several times on the CZ apparently for the sole reason that I was a single male traveling in a sleeper. When these reports come in, I just see this practice continuing of hassling many law abiding passengers as "the cost" of catching these miscreant traffickers.

But that cost sucks when you're enjoying your ride only to have a clueless LEO banging on your door, flashing a badge and demanding to speak with you. Hardly how I want to be spending my precious vacation time.

ColdRainAndSnow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For regular patrons of this train, it is
> infuriating to receive these reports. The
> miscreants who keep stupidly believing that the
> California Zephyr is their panacea for drug
> trafficking...are making this train less enjoyable
> for the rest of us. With every new bust (now the
> biggest fentanyl bust ever), the LEOs who rove
> around these trains will keep bothering the many
> to catch the few. And feel more assured with every
> bust that this is kosher. I am all in for keeping
> these drugs off the trains, but there's gotta be a
> better way than how they do it now.
>
> I know that quite a few us have been hassled on
> the CZ by these LEOs who obviously don't always do
> their homework. With no record or legal
> entanglements, I have still been picked off
> several times on the CZ apparently for the sole
> reason that I was a single male traveling in a
> sleeper. When these reports come in, I just see
> this practice continuing of hassling many law
> abiding passengers as "the cost" of catching these
> miscreant traffickers.
>
> But that cost sucks when you're enjoying your ride
> only to have a clueless LEO banging on your door,
> flashing a badge and demanding to speak with you.
> Hardly how I want to be spending my precious
> vacation time.

As a federal enterprise, I doubt Amtrak has much say about Drug Enforcement Agency and other LEO coming aboard.

But, inconveniencing hundreds of patrons can't be good for business. People tweeting about the narcs coming through, awakening people, etc. Wasn't there a thread about a passenger of color winning a bundle of money from the feds for racial profiling on the 5/6 train?

If this country would get smart and legalize pot, valuable law enforcement resources could be directed real crime.

Just typical of the trash that rides Amtrak trains now days.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As a federal enterprise, I doubt Amtrak has much
> say about Drug Enforcement Agency and other LEO
> coming aboard.
>
> But, inconveniencing hundreds of patrons can't be
> good for business. People tweeting about the
> narcs coming through, awakening people, etc.
> Wasn't there a thread about a passenger of color
> winning a bundle of money from the feds for racial
> profiling on the 5/6 train?

Ya, Amtrak mostly shrugs which perpetuates the issue. But as you point out, they likely have little recourse anyway. Even the local agencies feel free to do boardings. Reno UCs are as standard a part of the CZ ride as is Gore Canyon. [Sigh]

I may have missed that thread but am wholly unsurprised that profiling was going down. Earlier this year, detraining at PDX on #27, there was a "welcoming committee" intercepting all offloading pax. I didn't get chosen, but they seemed to be picking off random people and pulling them aside for questioning and bag search. They have now become a regular fixture when #27 comes in. Not how I want to end my trip on the Empire Builder...getting hassled because...well just because.

millerdc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If this country would get smart and legalize pot,
> valuable law enforcement resources could be
> directed real crime.


Here Here!

I second that here here!

Posted from iPhone

MinesField Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> millerdc Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If this country would get smart and legalize
> pot,
> > valuable law enforcement resources could be
> > directed real crime.
>
>
> Here Here!

Between the tax revenue from legal pot (Colorado alone collected a half billion of revenue), redeployment of police to more useful work, reducing the numbers of people in prison, etc maybe we could get new schools, job training, etc.

"If this country would get smart and legalize pot,
> valuable law enforcement resources could be
> directed real crime."

Possibly you should ask the police and residents of the states that surround Colorado, such as Nebraska, Kansas & Utah, how they feel about the legalization of pot in Colorado.

Dick
Roosevelt, Utah

2ebright Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "If this country would get smart and legalize
> pot,
> > valuable law enforcement resources could be
> > directed real crime."
>
> Possibly you should ask the police and residents
> of the states that surround Colorado, such as
> Nebraska, Kansas & Utah, how they feel about the
> legalization of pot in Colorado.
>
> Dick
> Roosevelt, Utah

Locking up pot heads is a waste of taxpayer money. We don't lock up folks for drinking.

You lock them up when their actions are a threat to public safety.

Posted from Android

ask ANY law enforcement officer that has worked the streets and not hidden behind a desk how many collisions, assaults, and deaths they have investigated that were ALCOHOL related compared to JUST related to marijuana. there is NO comparison.......

66

Interesting story in Washington Post about pre and post legalization highway fatalities.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/08/05/since-marijuana-legalization-highway-fatalities-in-colorado-are-at-near-historic-lows/?utm_term=.e5c4b334af80

Not going to pay the Washington Post $1 to read the story.

The Omaha depot is perfectly safe at night--well lit, clean, manned by friendly staff. It can get crowded, but that's good, right? A little pot, fine, but the rest of that drug crap makes me sick to my stomach. I'm sure there are bad cops, but I've never met one. d

What!?? Pot's not legal?

Ed

Okay, who the heck is 'LEO' ?

Law Enforcement Officer......

66