Border Patrol has a serious problem

By Union-Tribune Editorial Board

Thursday, February 17, 2011 at midnight

The recent U-T story about the problems faced by the U.S. Border Patrol as it nearly doubled in size from 2003 to now – going from 30,000 to 58,000 agents – contained some alarming numbers.

The great majority of agents hired during that time were not given a polygraph test, as is the norm for those seeking law enforcement positions. Of the applicants who were tested after being flagged as potential risks, a staggering 60 percent were rejected because of their drug or criminal histories.

Given that so many new agents weren’t tested, perhaps it is no surprise that bribery scandals keep emerging. Since 2004, more than 120 Border Patrol and customs officials have been arrested, with about a third in the San Diego region.

Meanwhile, according to Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., there are nearly 800 pending corruption investigations nationwide. Pryor’s alarm led him to introduce legislation requiring every applicant for an agent position to take a polygraph, beginning in 2013. it won unanimous congressional approval, and President Barack Obama signed it into law last month.

This has prompted some grousing from Border Patrol officials about a strain on resources. Here’s the response we would have preferred: a promise by officials to do all they can to start universal polygraph testing of applicants as soon as possible, and to not wait until 2013.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011 ... s-problem/