As the railroads stretched west following the Civil War, the U.S. Army was tasked with law enforcement responsibilities within the Western Territories. Despite the Army's best efforts, railroads suffered considerable losses in stolen payroll, freight, parcels and luggage. Following the Civil War, thousands of unemployed soldiers took to the rail yards for survival. Organized bands of outlaws like the infamous Hole in the Wall Gang and the James Gang, utilized dynamite on bridges, tunnels, stations, tracks and railroad cars to conduct holdups.

The nature of these violent times called for prompt action. Railway companies hired policemen with little concern for their background and experience. The ability to handle physical confrontations was paramount while diplomacy and investigative experience was a secondary consideration.

It was the general custom to simply hand a newly appointed officer a badge and send him out to work without further preparation or instruction in law enforcement. Inadequate methods of recruiting agents resulted in undesirable characters seeking positions as railroad police officers. The lack of training and discipline tainted this branch of railroad service and earned the officers a poor reputation for safety and security.

Railroad policing has developed into a unique, highly specialized branch of law enforcement. With a commitment to education, technology and safety, railroad police service has kept pace with the changing needs of our society.

Railroad police officers serving in the Eastern corridor were commonly called "detectives." In the west, they earned the name "Special Agents." This title persevered throughout the years. Two of the most famous Special Agents hired to protect the railroads were Bat Masterson and Allen Pinkerton.

Pinkerton employed experienced policemen and investigators to combat crime along the railways. In those pioneer days, they sought to distinguish themselves from the confusion and distrust created by the unprepared railway police officers.

One of the primary issues encountered by railroad police was their lack of authority outside the railroad property boundaries. They did not have the power to enforce the law beyond railroad borders unless they gained an appointment as a deputy or special policeman. On February 27, 1865, the legislature of Pennsylvania enacted the Railroad Police Act, the first law officially establishing railroad police. The act authorized the governor of the state to appoint railroad police officers and gave statewide authority to these officers. The Railroad Police Act provided the model legislation for other states to follow.

Railroad policing has developed into a unique, highly specialized branch of law enforcement. With a commitment to education, technology and safety, railroad police service has kept pace with the changing needs of our society.

Today there are fewer than 2,300 railway police officers in North America.

In the United States, the appointment, commissioning and regulation of rail police primarily remains a state mandate, however, Section 1704 of the Crime Control Act of 1990, effective March 14, 1994, provides that: "A railroad police officer who is certified or commissioned as a police officer under the laws of any state shall, in accordance with the regulations issued by the Secretary of Transportation, be authorized to enforce the laws of any jurisdiction in which the rail carrier owns property."