TRAINING AND EDUCATION
Operation Clear
Track 2018: Be part
of the solution
Sept. 23-29 is Rail Safety Week across the U.S. and
Canada. New Jersey Operation Lifesaver in conjunc-
tion with Amtrak and Norfolk Southern Railway
(Conrail) would like to invite you to participate in
the second annual Operation Clear Track program,
which was created to call attention to railroad safety
laws along the railroad tracks within your commu-
nity.
Operation Clear Track is the largest single-day
THOMAS J.
railroad
safety law enforcement initiative in the U.S.
JEDIC
This year’s deployment will be held Sept. 25 and will
require three hours of law enforcement participation. An enforce-
ment period can occur during any portion of any work shift to ac-
commodate staffing needs.
During the event, we would ask you to assign a team to the rail-
road grade crossings of your choice to enforce any motor vehicle
laws and violations. In areas without grade crossings, place per-
sonnel to concentrate on trespassing by individuals on railroad
tracks, trestles or right of ways. Amtrak will provide Railroad Safety
Pocket Cards to distribute to motorists and pedestrians.
At the completion of Operation Clear Track, your department’s
total number of verbal or written warnings, along with the total
number of citations issued, should be reported back to Amtrak
through your NJ State Coordinator. In addition, we will prepare a
press release announcing your agency’s participation.
Raising public awareness about the dangers of failing to comply
with railroad safety laws is a critical step in preventing railroad-re-
lated deaths and injuries in your community. We look forward to
adding your department to our list of agencies nationwide that
have agreed to work with us on this major national rail safety cam-
paign.
Statistics reveal that approximately once every three hours, ei-
ther a trespasser or vehicle is struck by a train somewhere in the
U.S. These are sobering numbers that we must address. Too often,
young school-aged children cut over or along the railroad tracks.
People ride ATVs along the right of way, dogwalkers use it as a
walking path, and there’s even a startling trend of wedding pho-
tographers staging pictures on tracks. It takes diligence and coop-
eration between local, county, state and railroad police to ensure
that these areas are kept free of vehicles and trespassers.
As a reminder, the NJ Railroad Law Enforcement Guide is cur-
rently online at www.uctoa.com and will be a helpful resource
for any enforcement actions you or your agency take. I hope you
choose to join us in this effort not only during Rail Safety Week but
also throughout the year.
As mentioned in past articles, New Jersey Operation Lifesav-
er and the Railroad Police will assist your agency with materials,
training and any questions or concerns you may have. We offer a
wide variety of programs and presentations at no cost to your de-
partment. As the summer season winds down and school is back
in session, be part of a nationwide event to help your community
remain safe on and around railroad tracks. Our goal is to have New
Jersey police agencies have strong participation as we historically
do in all nationwide programs. So, join the event by using this link
to register your department and receive your pocket cards:
h t t p s : / / o p e r a t i o n l i f e s a v e r. w u f o o. c o m / f o r m s / o p e r a -
tion-clear-track-signup-form/ d
Special Agent Thomas Jedic is a member of Norfolk Southern Rail-
road Police Special Operations Response Team (SORT) and an exec-
utive board member of NJ Operation Lifesaver. He can be reached at
201-207-1394 or Thomas.Jedic@NS Corp.com.
www.njcopsmagazine.com
■ AUGUST 2018 77