Transit and Railroad Police

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

tasks jobzones knowledge skills abilities work_activities work_context interests work_styles work_values

Tasks

• Seal empty boxcars by twisting nails in door hasps, using nail twisters.

• Plan and implement special safety and preventive programs, such as fire and accident prevention.

• Record and verify seal numbers from boxcars containing frequently pilfered items, such as cigarettes and liquor, in order to detect tampering.

• Interview neighbors, associates, and former employers of job applicants in order to verify personal references and to obtain work history data.

• Direct and coordinate the daily activities and training of security staff.

• Direct security activities at derailments, fires, floods, and strikes involving railroad property.

• Investigate or direct investigations of freight theft, suspicious damage or loss of passengers' valuables, and other crimes on railroad property.

• Prepare reports documenting investigation activities and results.

• Apprehend or remove trespassers or thieves from railroad property, or coordinate with law enforcement agencies in apprehensions and removals.

• Examine credentials of unauthorized persons attempting to enter secured areas.

Back to top

Job Zone

• Name: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

• Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

• Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.

• Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.

• Examples: These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include funeral directors, electricians, forest and conservation technicians, legal secretaries, interviewers, and insurance sales agents.

• Svp range: (6.0 to < 7.0)

Back to top

Knowledge

Browse Knowledge

• 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.

• English Language
  Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

• Transportation
  Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

• Law and Government
  Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

• 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.

• 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.

• Telecommunications
  Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

• Computers and Electronics
  Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

• 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.

• 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.

Back to top

Skills

Browse Skills

• Active Listening
  Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

• Persuasion
  Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

• Social Perceptiveness
  Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

• Writing
  Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

• Speaking
  Talking to others to convey information effectively.

• Service Orientation
  Actively looking for ways to help people.

• Critical Thinking
  Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

• Learning Strategies
  Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

• Active Learning
  Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

• Complex Problem Solving
  Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Back to top

Abilities

Browse Abilities

• Oral Expression
  The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

• Problem Sensitivity
  The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

• Inductive Reasoning
  The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

• Far Vision
  The ability to see details at a distance.

• Oral Comprehension
  The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Deductive Reasoning
  The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

• Response Orientation
  The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.

• Speech Recognition
  The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

• Speech Clarity
  The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

• Written Comprehension
  The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Back to top

Work Activities

Browse Work Activities

• Performing General Physical Activities
  Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.

• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
  Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
  Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
  Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

• Handling and Moving Objects
  Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
  Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
  Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization
  Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

• Assisting and Caring for Others
  Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

Back to top

Work Context

• Telephone
  How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

• Face-to-Face Discussions
  How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?

• Contact With Others
  How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
  How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

• Deal With External Customers
  How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?

• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
  How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?

• Freedom to Make Decisions
  How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

• Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People
  How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?

• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?

• In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment
  How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)?

Back to top

Interests

Browse Interests

• Enterprising
  Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

• Social
  Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

• Realistic
  Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

• Conventional
  Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

• Investigative
  Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

• Artistic
  Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Back to top

Work Styles

• Integrity
  Job requires being honest and ethical.

• Self Control
  Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

• Dependability
  Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

• Attention to Detail
  Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

• Adaptability/Flexibility
  Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

• Concern for Others
  Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

• Stress Tolerance
  Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

• Independence
  Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

• Cooperation
  Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

• Social Orientation
  Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

Back to top

Work Values

Browse Work Values

• Responsibility
  Workers on this job make decisions on their own.

• Security
  Workers on this job have steady employment.

• Achievement
  Workers on this job get a feeling of accomplishment.

• Achievement-Mean Extent
  Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

• Company Policies and Practices
  Workers on this job are treated fairly by the company.

• Independence-Mean Extent
  Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employs to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

• Ability Utilization
  Workers on this job make use of their individual abilities.

• Activity
  Workers on this job are busy all the time.

• Authority
  Workers on this job give directions and instructions to others.

• Co-workers
  Workers on this job have co-workers who are easy to get along with.

Back to top