Cargo Theft Protection for Rail Yards, Terminals and Port Facilities
Armed officers and patrols that deter cargo theft at rail yards, intermodal facilities and port terminals.
Southern California moves more containers than anywhere in the country. The Port of Los Angeles handled 10.2 million TEUs in 2025, its 26th straight year as America's busiest seaport, and the Port of Long Beach moved a record of about 9.9 million. That cargo rides rail through Los Angeles County, where Union Pacific reported a 160 percent rise in theft and said more than 90 containers a day were being broken into on a single corridor through Lincoln Heights in early 2022.
The LAPD's Train Burglary Task Force later announced 22 arrests and more than $18 million in recovered goods. Theft has not gone away: Verisk CargoNet ranked California first for cargo theft in 2025 with 1,218 incidents, and metal theft nationally rose 77 percent. Rail yards, transload sites and container yards need visible, documented coverage at the points where trains stop and trailers sit.
What we protect against
- Container break ins on stopped or slow moving trains, with goods dumped along the tracks
- Organized burglary of intermodal containers and trailers in yards and on chassis
- Trespass on rail property and around stored trains
- Fictitious pickups and cargo diversion at terminals and transload facilities
- Copper and metal theft from rail signals, yards and stored materials
- Theft of trailers and high value loads such as electronics and computing hardware
What we provide
- Gate posts that verify drivers, seals, bills of lading and pickup authorization
- Overnight armed patrols of container stacks, trailer rows and yard perimeters
- Seal and lock checks on high value containers with photo logs
- Off duty officer details on track segments with repeat break ins
- Trespass documentation and police notification with clear incident reports
- TWIC credentialed officers for posts inside MTSA secure areas
- Daily activity reports and loss trend summaries
Rules and requirements
- Under 33 CFR 101.514, anyone who needs unescorted access to secure areas of MTSA regulated facilities, including port terminals, must hold a valid TWIC. Others may enter secure areas only under the escort procedures in the facility's approved security plan, where the operator allows escorting.
- Railroads such as Union Pacific and BNSF have their own police departments. Railroad police commissioned by the Governor are California peace officers under Penal Code 830.33(e), and federal law (49 U.S.C. 28101) lets rail police enforce the law in any jurisdiction where the railroad owns property. Contract security officers coordinate with railroad police and local agencies.
General information, not legal advice. Confirm requirements for your license and location.
Example program with more than one officer
At a transload or container yard, staff an unarmed guard at the in gate 24 hours a day to verify drivers, seals and paperwork. Add an armed officer in a patrol vehicle from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. running randomized loops of the container stacks and trailer rows, with photo logged seal checks on high value loads. For track segments with repeat break ins, schedule off duty officer details during the hours trains are known to stop instead of guarding the full line around the clock.
Questions we get
Do you replace railroad police?
No. Railroad police have law enforcement authority. Our officers add visible deterrence, observation and documentation on property the client controls and report to railroad police and local agencies.
Do your officers have TWIC credentials?
When a post requires unescorted access to secure areas of a port facility, we assign officers who hold a TWIC or have them credentialed before the post starts, and we plan that lead time with you.
What is the most cost effective way to protect a container yard?
A 24 hour gate post combined with randomized overnight armed patrol of the stacks usually beats multiple fixed posts, with off duty details added only where theft is concentrated.
Can you protect individual high value loads?
Yes. We can assign officers to watch staged high value containers or trailers until pickup, and we offer armed drivers for sensitive moves.
Which officers fit
Most sites need one officer type. Larger sites and events sometimes use more than one.
Unarmed guards
Common
Unarmed guards fit gate check in, driver and paperwork verification, and visitor control at terminals and transload facilities.
Armed guards
Primary
Armed officers fit yards and track segments with active burglary, and overnight protection of high value loads and staged containers.
Off duty police officers
Common
Off duty and retired officers fit hot spot details where crews hit trains repeatedly, and situations that call for strong documentation for prosecution.
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Where we cover rail yards and ports
Not sure what you need? Call or text (909) 927-7001 and talk to the owner directly, or send us a few details.