![]() It was decided that these men would be deputized by Preston County so that all of their official acts would be covered under the shield of law. This gave Latrobe the idea of creating his own railroad police force, one hired and paid entirely by the railroad. Martin of Acting Preston County (now West Virginia), they arrested the leaders of strikers who were assaulting other workers. These groups were not very productive causing the railroads to fall prey to criminals looking to steal luggage, freight, and livestock from the trains.Ĭhief Engineer Benjamin Latrobe of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad established one of the earliest known railroad police forces in 1849. Vigilante groups were usually organized haphazardly to maintain law and order. There were no railroad police at that time, and usually no other forms of law enforcement. ![]() With the creation of these railroad towns, crime tended to follow. By 1860 there were over 30,000 miles of railroad establishing boomtowns, settlers, and adventure seekers in their path. In 1851 the railroads crossed the Mississippi and began their expansion westward. The railroads had over 9000 miles of main line by 1850, all in the eastern states. By 1835, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois were part of the 11 states with over 200 railroads and approximately 1000 miles of main line track. Maryland and South Carolina were the first states to build railroads in the early 1830’s. ![]() ![]() Early Days of Railroad Policing to present ![]()
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