Amtrak IG details Union Station security deficiencies
Source: Roll Call
Security shortcomings at Amtrak’s second busiest station, Washington’s Union Station, have allowed an unauthorized car to drive onto the tracks and continue to leave the transportation hub and its patrons at risk, according to a report by Amtrak’s inspector general.
Doors controlling the access to Amtrak offices and restricted areas in Union Station are not secure because Amtrak has not identified which department is responsible for policies on locks, keys and doors, according to the report. This includes doors propped open, ineffective use of card readers and codes that are not regularly changed. Additionally, some of the video surveillance cameras in Union Station are not functioning because Amtrak hasn’t determined which department is responsible for managing and funding this maintenance.
On March 15, a trespasser used an open entrance to access the station and drove an unauthorized vehicle onto the tracks. Physical barriers were not in place at the entrance and the security guard failed to effectively screen the driver, resulting in the unauthorized access to the station, the report said. Further, the report notes that Amtrak employees and Allied Security guards said the barriers had been inoperable for years. The contracted security guards did not consistently check vehicles, drivers and pedestrians who accessed the vulnerable entrance, the report said.
Police officers at Amtrak sometimes cannot hear dispatches or each other because the radio signal is so poor, according to the report. It also stated that Amtrak Police Department officials told the inspector general’s office that they asked Amtrak’s leadership for $19.5 million in funding to replace the radios but, as of May, funding had not been provided to resolve the issue.
Kimberly Woods, an Amtrak spokesperson, said in an emailed statement that the railroad service is addressing the issues.
https://www.rollcall.com/news/congress/amtrak-ig-details-union-station-security-deficiencies
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Jul 30, 2019 5:07 PM
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