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Transit and Railroad Police

Protect and police railroad and transit property, employees, or passengers.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Plan or implement special safety or preventive programs, such as fire or accident prevention.
    • Direct or coordinate the daily activities or training of security staff.
    • Patrol railroad yards, cars, stations, or other facilities to protect company property or shipments and to maintain order.
    • Apprehend or remove trespassers or thieves from railroad property or coordinate with law enforcement agencies in apprehensions and removals.
    • Apprehend or remove trespassers or thieves from railroad property or coordinate with law enforcement agencies in apprehensions and removals.
    • Investigate or direct investigations of freight theft, suspicious damage or loss of passengers' valuables, or other crimes on railroad property.
    • Investigate or direct investigations of freight theft, suspicious damage or loss of passengers' valuables, or other crimes on railroad property.
    • Examine credentials of unauthorized persons attempting to enter secured areas.
    • Prepare reports documenting investigation activities and results.
    • Enforce traffic laws regarding the transit system and reprimand individuals who violate them.
    • Direct security activities at derailments, fires, floods, or strikes involving railroad property.
    • Interview neighbors, associates, or former employers of job applicants to verify personal references or to obtain work history data.
    • Provide training to the public or law enforcement personnel in railroad safety or security.
    • Plan or implement special safety or preventive programs, such as fire or accident prevention.
    • Monitor transit areas and conduct security checks to protect railroad properties, patrons, and employees.

    Skills

    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    Abilities

    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    Knowledge

    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    Education

    Education
    High school diploma or equivalent
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    1 to 12 months on-the-job training

    Pay

    U.S. Annual Salary
    82320/yr
    U.S. Hourly Wage
    39.58/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    20
    Yearly Projected Openings
    0

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Adaptability
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Self-Control
    • Cautiousness
    • Integrity
    • Attention to Detail

    Tools

    • Alcohol analyzers
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Digital cameras
    • Fingerprint equipment
    • Fingerprint latent print kits
    • Fire extinguishers
    • Hand sprayers
    • Handcuffs
    • Handguns
    • Hazardous material protective apparel
    • Masks or accessories
    • Measuring wheels for distance
    • Military rifles
    • Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles
    • Mobile medical services first aid kits
    • Mobile resuscitator or aspirator kits
    • Night sticks
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Police or security shotguns
    • Police vehicles
    • Protective gloves
    • Radiation detectors
    • Riot batons
    • Riot helmets
    • Still cameras
    • Tape measures
    • Two way radios
    • Weapon or explosives detectors and supplies
    • X ray radiography examination equipment

    Technology

    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Internet browser software
    • Map creation software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Web platform development software
    • Word processing software