When I took on the role of Amtrak’s chief risk officer at the beginning of the year, I accepted responsibility for all security matters at Amtrak, as well as leading our partnerships with federal, state and local public safety entities. I am fortunate to work with a leadership team that has always made the safety of Amtrak’s passengers a top priority. This focus on safety provides the basis for our strategy to reduce security risks for our passengers.
But more than that, I accepted the responsibility to make sure that our passengers will continue to enjoy the convenience, comfort and security of travel on Amtrak. We recognize that passengers often have conflicting thoughts and emotions about security when traveling, and we are committed to doing our best to balance security requirements with accessibility and convenience.
My own background of more than 30 years of national and international security and counterterror-ism experience gives me the perspective to know that security has many complex dimensions. Also, our security strategies need to continue to evolve with the realities of today’s security environment.
Prior to coming to Amtrak, I was an executive in other large safety- and security-conscious businesses and a member of the White House Homeland Security Transition Planning Office, where I helped create the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). At that department, I was responsible for domestic protection measures, including developing and implementing a national
protection plan, which provided the basis for many of the counterterror-ist activities undertaken in the early days of DHS.
Today, I am working with a team of people at Amtrak to improve security measures to safeguard the security of our passengers. In the near future, you will see increased police presence in stations and aboard trains. We are transforming the Amtrak police force into a com-munity-focused department and
I encourage you to talk to and get to know our police officers.
We are currently examining all of the railroad’s strengths and vulnerabilities, and creating plans that encompass passenger, employee, and infrastructure and asset security. These plans include investing in state-of-the-art technology, assessing our passenger screening procedures, attracting and retaining the very best law enforcement talent available, providing security awareness training to our entire workforce, and continuing education programs to raise passenger vigilance. These efforts are designed to provide best-in-class security while minimizing the impact on customer travel times.
Ridership on Amtrak is at an all-time high and I am delighted to help lead our team of extraordinary professionals who are committed to managing passenger safety, comfort and security.
Sincerely,
JAMES F. MCDONNELL Chief Risk Officer
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