Thread: Patrol shortage predicted for Yuma

http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/132860

Published: 06.09.2006

Patrol shortage predicted for Yuma
By Arthur H. Rotstein
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
YUMA — The Border Patrol's Yuma Sector has about 500 deployable agents, but its chief says it will take significantly more to attain operational control of the border.

"Although the agency is still very cautious about putting out endgame numbers — what it's really going to take — it is going to be, I believe now, significantly more than what we have," said Ronald Colburn, chief of the sector, which encompasses 126 miles of the border with Mexico, all but 10 of that in westernmost Arizona.

The sector's Yuma station has been the busiest among all 143 Border Patrol stations nationwide this fiscal year. And within three weeks of President Bush's decision to send 6,000 National Guard troops to the Mexican border to provide the patrol non-law enforcement assistance, an engineering unit from Utah was on hand Monday.

The 116th Construction Support Equipment Company graded a road, welded and trenched for steel fencing and laid wiring for lights near the

San Luis port of entry.

Guardsmen could take over a range of other mission-support duties as well, ranging from construction and aviation reconnaissance to communications, monitoring camera and sensor systems and placing new sensors in the ground, Colburn said.

"We have identified probably 50 to 100 positions that we would like to free up," he said, allowing that number of agents to return to on-the-line patrol duties.

"Theoretically and philosophically, we would like this to be able to return one-to-one, so that for every guardsman who comes down, one Border Patrol agent would be able to be put on the line," Colburn said. "That's the concept, that when we bring in mission-support resources, the hope is to return an agent to patrolling duties."

"That's substantially more than I would have thought," said Rich Pierce, executive vice president of the National Border Patrol Council.

Pierce cautioned that it might be difficult at best for guardsmen to learn — let alone master — some of the tasks within two weeks of annual training time before they leave. "You don't just replace someone and expect someone new to learn this in two weeks and then leave and you have to teach someone again," he said.

Pierce said it will be impossible for the current Border Patrol academy to train 6,000 new agents in two years. And without tough interior enforcement to crack down on employers hiring illegal immigrants, he said the problem will never be resolved.

Officials have said Arizona, with the largest amount of illegal immigrant traffic along the 2,000-mile Mexican border, is likely to receive about 40 percent, or 2,400, of the National Guard troops who will be committed to border assistance over the next two years.

Bush's plan calls for hiring and training an additional 6,000 Border Patrol agents by 2008, which would increase the force's size to more than 18,000.

Colburn said that could mean as many as 600 guardsmen assigned to the Yuma Sector, with the rest going to the larger Tucson Sector.

He noted that the Yuma Sector has begun to experience "a significant downturn" in illegal immigrant traffic and apprehensions, which intelligence officials are still analyzing. It's too soon to say whether it's a trend or a short-lived anomaly, Colburn said.

But he said it could be a result of national attention, added security infrastructure or even "a wait-and-see approach by many of the populations south of the border" with elections in both Mexico this summer and the United States this fall.

The Yuma Sector had nearly 103,000 apprehensions this fiscal year as of Tuesday.

Pierce cautioned that it might be difficult at best for guardsmen to learn — let alone master — some of the tasks within two weeks of annual training time before they leave. "You don't just replace someone and expect someone new to learn this in two weeks and then leave and you have to teach someone again," he said.

Pierce said it will be impossible for the current Border Patrol academy to train 6,000 new agents in two years. And without tough interior enforcement to crack down on employers hiring illegal immigrants, he said the problem will never be resolved.

I am sure that is exactly what G.W. expected to happen. This will make the matter worse. Now not only do they have to patrol the border they are now full time teachers to staff that will not remain. TYPICAL BUSH plan

He noted that the Yuma Sector has begun to experience "a significant downturn" in illegal immigrant traffic and apprehensions, which intelligence officials are still analyzing. It's too soon to say whether it's a trend or a short-lived anomaly, Colburn said.

But he said it could be a result of national attention, added security infrastructure or even "a wait-and-see approach by many of the populations south of the border" with elections in both Mexico this summer and the United States this fall.

OR it could be they are remembering the last mess with the Bressaros and they may also not trust Bush & Co.

Would'nt you know.. the area most invaded,,, would be the area least patrolled

Why are we not shocked!!!