BNSF Employees Go Beyond the Call of Duty

Darrell Dunigan, signal maintainer on the Texas Division was recently honored with an "On Guard" plaque for his efforts in apprehending a thief.

Because of the number of thefts of pole line wire in the area, Dunigan and his team increased their awareness of suspicious suspects. On Saturday, March 5, Dunigan received a call regarding a track indication between Paul's Valley and Wynnewood, Okla., meaning a track is shorted out or crews are unable to receive green signals. When the signal system goes to red, it shows there is a signal system problem and it will delay all trains on that track. This was a red flag for Dunigan.

"We knew thefts were occurring, but we hadn't caught the suspects yet," says Richard Gary, signal inspector, Paul's Valley. "When Darrell received the call the next day, he figured it was going on again. He knew where to go because the suspects were at the same place at least twice within the last year."

Dunigan anticipated their usual route and set up to catch the suspects; he blocked the road so the suspects could not get out and then called the Garvin County Sheriff's Department. The criminals, aware of Dunigan efforts, ran and hid. However, they were not able to leave with the vehicle, which was loaded with wires.

As time passed, authorities left and Dunigan began repairing the line wires. When one of the suspects came out of hiding, Dunigan called the sheriff back immediately. He then gave the criminal's description and the direction the suspect was heading. Authorities returned and apprehended the suspect.

"This criminal activity occurs when the price of copper rises," explains Gary. "People steal this wire from isolated areas. They will start cutting wires down, rolling it up and taking it," he says, who has seen a lot of trouble with this type of theft throughout the years. Gary admits that it is hard to catch the suspects because by the time employees react to the call, the thieves are already gone.

"Darrell didn't have to do everything, but he did," Gary said. "It's an uneasy situation, but he helped break the case."

According to Joe White, Oklahoma City Senior Patrolman, because of Dunigan's diligence, two arrests and confessions have been obtained concerning the Garvin County wire thefts.

Anyone who notices anything suspicious should call 1-800-832-5452. However, employees should never take action on their own if they spot a possible problem - they should always call their local Resource Protection Solutions agents.