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Approximately 20,000 transients "ride the rails" in the United States yearly. Many of these people are homeless, moneyless or just thrill seekers. Due to the number of people riding the rails, it is not surprising that train gangs are one of the newest forms of gangs developing. Freight trains provide a covert form of transportation and are thus attractive to this group who likes to remain anonymous to the rest of society. Members can hop on and off a train at their discretion, and can cross the country while doing so.
Any community with railroad tracks is at risk of having members of this new type of gang infiltrate their neighborhoods. The leading gang goes by the name of Freight Train Riders of America (FTRA). In 1984, this organization was established by a group of ex-Vietnam veterans in Montana, who road the rails in the western part of the United States. These veterans took to riding on freight trains after being unable to make a transition back to civilian society.
The FTRA was originally formed for the purpose of camaraderie. In 1987, the group formed an enforcement arm known as the "Goon Squad" or the "Goonies." This branch kept other members in line and victimized nonmembers.
Making sure members did not attack others in the group was important to the FTRA. They targeted non-member transients for their food, clothing and money as a means of survival. According to Officer Bob Grandinetti, Office of Special Problems, of the Spokane, Washington Police Department, the FTRA is estimated at having 800 members.
Profiling Victims
Victims of the FTRA are usually other transients, since they are vulnerable targets. Such crimes usually go undetected because victims are unlikely to report them. Individuals who roam near railroad tracks, or in places where FTRA members congregate, have also been preyed upon. Examples include a female bar owner who was beaten to death by FTRA members after closing for the night; a couple murdered at a campground located near railroad tracks; and a man murdered in his home after befriending a FTRA member. This gang appears non-discriminatory in their victim selection; which places many at risk.
Gang members typically steal the victim's personal identification and effects so that they can later use them...