Homeland Security backs off idea of civilian border patrol

Denton Record-Chronicle/AP ^ | 7/21/05 | Jeremiah Marquez/AP

[lonewacko_dot_com]

The Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday it has no plans to enlist citizens volunteers to patrol U.S. borders on the day after its top border enforcement official said he was exploring how to involve civilians in his agency's work.

On Wednesday, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert C. Bonner told The Associated Press that his agency was considering the training of volunteers to create "something akin to a Border Patrol auxiliary."

In a refutation of that controversial idea, a Homeland Security spokesman issued a statement Thursday backing off Bonner's suggestion.

"There are currently no plans by the Department of Homeland Security to use civilian volunteers to patrol the border," spokesman Brian J. Roehrkasse said. "That job should continue to be done by the highly trained, professional law enforcement officials."

Roehrkasse added that Bonner, whose agency is part of Homeland Security, had not told department officials "any specific details of the idea."

[archy]

The Feds don't trust civilians enough to allow them into Fed turf.

Wrong-o. Since 1941, Civilian auxiliaries have not only handled search and rescue, border security and counternarcotics missions for the Army Air Corps until that force became a seperate service, the United States Air Force, in 1947. They even performed combat antisubmarine patrols during WWII, getting credit for one certain U-boat sinking and a couple of other probables. When interviewed after WWII as to why the U-boats discontinued their attacks on coastal tankers and freighters after 1942, German submarine service commander replied that *It was those damned little red and yellow airplanes....

[archy]

"There are currently no plans by the Department of Homeland Security to use civilian volunteers to patrol the border," spokesman Brian J. Roehrkasse said. "That job should continue to be done by the highly trained, professional law enforcement officials."

At least the ones not also on the *professional* payrolls of the drug and human smuggling cartels.

Military, law enforcement caught in FBI drug trafficking sting

Associated Press
May. 12, 2005 06:15 PM

TUCSON - Pretending to be cocaine traffickers, FBI agents in Arizona snared 16 current and former law enforcement officers and U.S. soldiers who accepted more than $222,000 in bribes to help move the drugs past checkpoints, Justice Department officials said Thursday.

Those charged include a former Immigration and Naturalization Service inspector, a former Army sergeant, a former federal prison guard, seven members of the Arizona Army National Guard, five members of the Arizona Department of Corrections and a Nogales, Ariz., police officer, officials said.

All 16 agreed to plead guilty to being part of a bribery and public corruption conspiracy, said Noel Hillman, a Justice Department official. advertisement

[Fruit of the Spirit]

"TUCSON - Pretending to be cocaine traffickers, FBI agents in Arizona snared 16 current and former law enforcement officers and U.S. soldiers who accepted more than $222,000 in bribes to help move the drugs past checkpoints,.."

Very good, Archy!

I wonder how will Homeland Securities respond? hehe

[archy]

"TUCSON - Pretending to be cocaine traffickers, FBI agents in Arizona snared 16 current and former law enforcement officers and U.S. soldiers who accepted more than $222,000 in bribes to help move the drugs past checkpoints,.."

Very good, Archy!

I wonder how will Homeland Securities respond? hehe

I can't say. I wasn't directly involved in that one, so the only feedback I'm getting is from press accounts.

I did have a little to do with this one....[.pdf file]

[Terabitten]

Is it a possibility that there is a mutiny in the ranks over Bush's demonstarted unwillingness to enforce our boarders?

I'd suggest to you that the rank and file in Customs & Border Protection (legacy Customs, legacy Immigration, and Border Patrol) want the borders sealed as badly as anyone, unfortunately, the upper management doesn't. I don't know why.

[etcetera]

"Wrong-o."

Wrong for then (WWII) but not wrong for now. We live in a different time now.

[BIRDS]

Well, that would certainly explain their penchant for the unusual "highly trained professional law enforcement" line.

Not like anyone said they weren't (highly trained or otherwise)...such that the statement is downright weird. It's almost (maybe already is) the language, that expression, of someone drawing a line. They might just as well have said, "stay away, OR ELSE."

It's militant language, and it bothers me coming from people who we are expected to respect to protect and defend.