Thread: Border guards having trouble shooting straight

Wednesday » September 26 » 2007

Border guards having trouble shooting straight

Doug Williamson
CanWest News Service; Windsor Star


Wednesday, September 26, 2007


WINDSOR, Ont. - One in five Canadian border guards, training to carry firearms, has been flunking their shooting lessons.

"Eventually, they will be armed. But not everyone is going to qualify," said Marie-Claire Coupal of Windsor, Ont., fourth national vice-president of the Customs and Excise Union, adding the 20-per-cent failure rate applied across the board.

Coupal said part of the reason a fifth of trainees has been failing is the relatively short training period of three weeks, compared with 16 weeks for RCMP officers. Most of the failures were in 25-metre shooting - a long distance that doesn't reflect normal border conditions, she said. As well, some officers needed fitness training so their arms remain steady during shortened shooting training.

Ron Moran, the national union president, said that last Friday, 24 out of 28 trainees passed their tests on their first try, reflecting changes made in the training program after the initial failure rates were noticed. He said those who initially did not qualify should be given another chance, and added the union is not advocating for unqualified officers to be pushed through.

"The employer has as much of a vested interest as we do," Moran said.

A spokeswoman for Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said Tuesday that 20 per cent of the training class in July, and a smaller percentage in August, failed to qualify. But changes have been made to provide more coaching and 12 additional hours more practice time on the shooting range, for a total of 50 hours.

In addition, other changes have been made, such as not conducting the shooting range test on the same day as the written exam. She said the government expects the failure rate to drop when the September group graduates.

Eventually, the federal government wants to see up to 4,800 land and marine guards armed. To date, 80 armed guards have been deployed across Canada. Airport border guards do not carry guns.

Coupal said the 25-metre precision shooting requirement is unrealistic under border conditions. "That's where we're losing most of our people. It's physically demanding on them." Those who fail to qualify will get another crack at it, she added. "As it stands they're supposed to get two tries. They're just in the first round. These people will be going back for a second round."

Coupal said it is not known what will happen to those who fail their training. "All that hasn't been worked out yet," she said. "I don't think that CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency)was ready for this."

Officers who qualify will carry nine-millimetre Berettas, and also will assume more law-enforcement responsibilities. They'll be able to arrest and detain drunk drivers and people named in warrants, until police arrive.

Day's spokeswoman, Melisa Leclerc, said if an officer doesn't pre-qualify for training, or fails to qualify after two tries, every effort will be made to transfer the worker to a job where carrying guns is not required.

Initial estimates pegged the cost of arming Canada's border guards at $781 million, after the union lobbied for two decades for the right to carry weapons. It is estimated it will take 10 years to complete the training and arming process.

Windsor Star

© CanWest News Service 2007








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http://www.canada.com/topics/news/natio ... 5e&k=15728

Can't say that I really blame then considering how our Border Patrol is treated when they do hit what they aim at. Not much better for troops in a war zone come to think of it.