Posted on 05/06/2007 10:46:31 AM PDT by SandRat
HEREFORD — The local civilian anti-illegal immigration group American Border Patrol has expanded its operations to a 100-acre ranch here that fronts both Mexico and the San Pedro River. The group says it will use the property as a base to continue demonstrating how inexpensive technology can help secure the border.
During a Friday night fund-raising barbecue for Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo, ABP founder Glenn Spencer showed off the ranch’s six-camera surveillance system to a crowd of approximately 150 people.
As Spencer displayed a split screen projection of the views from four of the cameras, Mike King, ABP’s technical director, alerted him to a view into Mexico that showed a vehicle rumbling along a dirt road.
“That’s probably a load vehicle headed for the San Pedro River,” Spencer told the audience.
He estimated there were as many as 50 illegal border-crossers within a two-mile radius of the ranch at that moment.
Unlike the U.S. Border Patrol, which maintains camera towers about 1/2 mile from the international boundary, the ABP has surveillance cameras positioned right next to the border, Spencer said.
Furthermore, he added, while Border Patrol cameras communicate via costly microwave systems, ABP uses a relatively inexpensive “canopy” wireless Ethernet connection.
“It’s similar to what you would have at your home,” Spencer explained, “where the range might be 1,000 feet. Here, we have the same capability, but it goes out 12 miles.”
The cameras will be monitored at a command center RV at the ranch, where volunteers control their movements using a hand-held, video-game-like controller.
Spencer hopes ABP members will eventually use the Internet to man the cameras from anywhere in the country.
Meanwhile, the American Border Patrol also will continue monitoring the border via cameras mounted on inexpensive unmanned aerial vehicles flown at altitudes of 500 feet.
“The government’s UAVs cost $7 million,” Spencer said. “We built ours for $50,000.”
The ABP has dubbed its program “Operation BEEF,” which stands for Border Enforcement Evaluation First.
“We’re calling it operation BEEF because the government is saying they’re going to beef up the border,” Spencer explained. “So we’re asking, ‘Where’s the beef?’ ”
“We document what goes on at the border,” he continued. “Our plan is to place on the Web each month a complete report of what the border situation was for each Border Patrol station from San Diego to El Paso.”
Tancredo, a Republican U.S. representative from Colorado who has made tough border enforcement the focal point of his campaign, praised Spencer for his work.
“He has done more than perhaps anyone else to show what is possible, and to show that what we have in this country is worth protecting,” Tancredo told the audience.
“How many other countries in the world can you think of that have people who are willing to do this kind of thing?”
Spencer founded American Border Patrol after moving to Arizona from California in August 2002.
HERALD/REVIEW reporter Jonathan Clark can be reached at 515-4693 or by e-mail at jonathan.clark@bisbeereview.net.
BORDER PING
So what?
What happens when they get to the river and then cross?
>>Furthermore, he added, while Border Patrol cameras communicate via costly microwave systems, ABP uses a relatively inexpensive “canopy” wireless Ethernet connection.
“It’s similar to what you would have at your home,” Spencer explained, “where the range might be 1,000 feet. Here, we have the same capability, but it goes out 12 miles.” <<
Canopy is Motorola’s brand name for its commercial grade wireless internet products.
It is better than home grade and much cheaper than microwave. My concern is that it pretty blockable. I would think human/drug trafficers could send a kid out with a suitcase sized device and take the system down while staying on the Mexican side of the border.
Hmmmm, let's see, you are lying. Neither the house or the senate fought for border control. They gave lip service. They also failed on a number of other conservative ideals and principles. That is the real reason they lost in 2006, everyone but you seems to know that. The majority of the people in this country want illegal immigration stopped or at least slowed down to a crawl and they want deportation of ALL illegals.
You can lie and spin all you want but facts are facts. If they(republicans) fail to live up to conservative ideals they will be voted out, just as they were in 2006.
If they get past the coyote hijackers on this side, don’t step in the quick-sand in the San Pedro, get past the BP and the County Sheriff, then they stand around Home Depot looking for day labor.
Is there anywhere on the web that has close to the REAL number of illegal immigrants in America?
Actually, it is much simpler than that. Start enforcing the law here. Hire illegals, go to jail. In 6 months they will all be gone. Probably only need to bust several hundred employers and folks would get the message pretty quick.
What happens when they get to the river and then cross?
When they notify the White House that there are illegals on our side of the border elPresidente Jorge Boosh sends the limos down to pick them up so they can hurry and get in before the amnesty. LOL!
?
Oh my gosh! You're still here. I hoped thought you had been banned with the other trouble makers. LOL! I see you're still distorting the truth! Who and what bill are you talking about?
Not that I’ve found yet.
bump for Freedom from invasion
Members of Tancredo's immigration caucus lost seats at a much lower rate than non-members.
Good question! I really don't know. I do know that there were a bunch of pro illegal immigration folks who showed up on all the immigration threads and harassed other FReepers until a lot of good FReepers got banned because of them. They were all conservatives too, and now the pro illegal immigration gang all got banned over Rudy. They could only hide their liberalism for just so long, until it reared it's ugly head again, and they got the boot. I think they're all gone except MNJohnnie. I guess we could ask him. Johnnie, are you Dane? LOL!
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