Lieutenant Lindell Barton knows law enforcement and railroading.

After starting as a patrolman on Nov. 22, he was promoted to his current role Jan. 15.

Knowing he wanted a career in law enforcement, Barton studied social work and psychology at University of Missouri-St. Louis. 

“Social work and psychology are inherently related to law enforcement,” he said. “I knew I wanted to serve people.”

Barton worked his way through college at the Missouri Department of Corrections. 

He started his police career in Farmington, Missouri. The town of 20,000 was home to a prison and mental health facility that presented law enforcement challenges.

Barton became a special agent for Union Pacific in 2006. In 2011, he worked as a lieutenant for Union Pacific in St. Louis. Before joining the Belt, Barton was chief of police for Alton & Southern Railway in East St. Louis, Illinois. 

Barton characterizes his assignments as universally “demanding and high risk” as well as high volume.

“I enjoy being busy,” he said. “Downtime is not for me.” 

Barton said his career has exceeded his expectations and that he’s excited to continue to focus on helping others every day. 

He’s presently focused on learning from his BRC Police teammates and other employees. 

“In the coming years, I want to help the BRC Police into the next era of railroading and policing,” he said. 

Away from work, Barton enjoys quality time with his family. While beaches always have been a preferred place to spend downtime, the Bartons have taken a liking to Colorado and its mountainous terrain.  

“The vast outdoors appeals to us and allows us to get in touch with nature,” he said. “We love hiking.”