Meanwhile, in Chicago, burglars have their charges dropped and given apologies

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The Norfolk Southern Railway apologized on Friday for its controversial "bait truck" operation in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood and said it wouldn't use the tactic again.

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In a letter in response to a Tribune editorial, Herbert Smith of Norfolk Southern acknowledged that the undercover operation “eroded trust between law enforcement and the community.”

“We sincerely regret that our actions caused further unease, and we don’t plan to use this method in the future,” wrote Smith, the railroad’s manager of community and legislative relations in Illinois, Iowa and Michigan.

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The joint investigation with Chicago police — dubbed "Operation Trailer Trap" — used a truck loaded with goods that was left parked near 59th Place and Princeton Avenue in Englewood as a lure for potential thieves.

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The probe, however, came under fire from the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and others after video footage of the operation went viral.

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The tactic is controversial, however, because some consider it a form of entrapment. After Mckenzie's video footage was first reported by the news website Vox, the ACLU of Illinois condemned the practice.

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the investigation he said was prompted by ongoing cargo theft from parked and locked containers and trailers in that area.

Those break-ins included thefts of guns and ammunition “that found their way in the local community,” he said.

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the goal of the operation was to respond to the numerous cargo thefts, including the stolen guns. He said authorities want to interview suspects in the case to try to determine if they knew of the previous gun thefts.

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the FBI estimates that freight thefts total more than $27 million a year,

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A video shot last week and posted on the Facebook page of community activist Charles Mckenzie appeared to show Chicago police officers arresting a man after he allegedly broke into a "bait truck" in the Englewood neighborhood. People on the video argued that community members were being set up for arrest.

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Three people were arrested during the operation, according to Susan Terpay, a Norfolk Southern spokeswoman. But felony burglary charges have been dropped against each of the three defendants, said Robert Foley, a spokesman for Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. Foley declined to elaborate on why other than to say “it was in the interest of justice.”

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"Police in Chicago must focus on building trust and better relationships within the communities they serve, not engage in stunts like bait trucks," said Karen Sheley, its director of the police practices project.

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Mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot, former head of the Chicago Police Board, also blasted the operation, calling it “an appalling display of misplaced priorities and a step backwards on the path to trust and legitimacy.”

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