Thread: Looking for Border Patrol officers

[b][quote="Special-Ed"]


Nope. I helped create The Patriot's Fund just after we began taking casualties in Afghanistan years ago. We worked to financially support the spouses of deceased troops until the law changed to its current payments.



Yes, I'm familiar with that organization but thought it was minus the "s" on the end of patriot. I must be mistaken......

This is rather a leap for you then.......that is, compiling info concerning BP compared to founding an organization to assist the families of deceased vets.

Perhaps if you were willing to be a litttle bit more specific, in regards to who and what your current project is associated with, those who might be able to help you would be more willing to see if they could assist you in some way?

I'm sure that you can understand why there might be some reluctance and hesitation if people don't know what, exactly, they are getting in to?

"This is rather a leap for you then.......that is, compiling info concerning BP compared to founding an organization to assist the families of deceased vets."

Not really. My profession is intellectual property, such as with the commercial reports. My dad was a POW in Vietnam and I'm retired military, so the troop support thing is separate but quite in character.

"Perhaps if you were willing to be a litttle bit more specific, in regards to who and what your current project is associated with, those who might be able to help you would be more willing to see if they could assist you in some way?"

The project is simple: I'm researching border security needs that may be met by aviation for a report to be sold by the Market Intel Group. It's one of a number of companies that publish such material for consumers who don't have the expertise or time to do it themselves. It will be used by policy makers and business developers to, in a perfect world, improve support for border agents.

"I'm sure that you can understand why there might be some reluctance and hesitation if people don't know what, exactly, they are getting in to?"

I get it but I sure don't like it. The paranoia to the point of civil war within our Border Patrol is fundamental to the problem and a reason my report is necessary. It's clear agents have little or no voice. It should then be no surprise that the various hi-tech fences, etc. aren't helping them much. This opportunity is a good way to document those support needs in a very credible forum and so be heard anonymously.

If that paranoia is stronger than the self-preservation that comes with some of the easily available technology, then I'll just have to go with the other research and my own experience.

I'll leave the community with a 'what if' though. We recently lost an agent who was murdered by a coyote. With simple overhead support, he never would have lost radio contact with his team and would have tracked the smugglers remotely. Contacting them would have been at the team's discretion, at their chosen time and place. What if we had done that instead?

One last time: I'd like to speak with current or former border officers. Please make arrangements by email.

Cheers,

'Special' Ed
PatriotsFund@aol.com

Special-Ed,

You used the words commercial report in your initital post/request. Are you being compensated for this report?

The project is simple: I'm researching border security needs that may be met by aviation for a report to be sold by the Market Intel Group. It's one of a number of companies that publish such material for consumers who don't have the expertise or time to do it themselves. It will be used by policy makers and business developers to, in a perfect world, improve support for border agents.

The biggest obstacle might not be in marketing the support but in obtaining the "permission" and funding to utilize it.

There does not, unfortunately, seem to be much interest amongst those controlling the purse strings, in "allowing" BP to get what they need.

"I'm sure that you can understand why there might be some reluctance and hesitation if people don't know what, exactly, they are getting in to?"

I get it but I sure don't like it. The paranoia to the point of civil war within our Border Patrol is fundamental to the problem and a reason my report is necessary. It's clear agents have little or no voice. It should then be no surprise that the various hi-tech fences, etc. aren't helping them much. This opportunity is a good way to document those support needs in a very credible forum and so be heard anonymously.

I agree. It's a travesty. My dad was a state police officer for many, many years back east and I fully believe that if he were alive today and just starting out, the last thing he would do is go into law enforcement.

Not because of the danger, but because of the expectation that one will be castigated, persecuted, investigated, and prosecuted for merely doing one's job and this or that individual or entity doesn't like it because they should somehow be exempt.

It's really no wonder that BP agents feel the way that they do. The cat has been let out of the bag about the numbers of criminals working for the other side who have made it into the BP so these agents don't ever know who their co-workers really are. The numbers being attacked and/or killed have risen dramatically and their own employer.....our government....ties their hands in terms of what they can do to defend themselves to placate foreign nations and special interests while continuing to dismiss concerns about their safety by denying that we "have a problem" on this side of the border. And, of course, the message has been very clearly received as to what happens to those who actually do their jobs, let alone speak out.

I'll leave the community with a 'what if' though. We recently lost an agent who was murdered by a coyote. With simple overhead support, he never would have lost radio contact with his team and would have tracked the smugglers remotely. Contacting them would have been at the team's discretion, at their chosen time and place. What if we had done that instead?

You do bring up a very good point Ed, one I've often wondered about myself in fact.

Why isn't there use of, specifically, law enforcement choppers on the border? Even our local sheriff and police departments use choppers for routine patrols and the officers most certainly can depend on them being overhead when they need them.....especially when they are in an area doing a search.

It doesn't make a bit of sense that they aren't using aviation to help locate those trying to breach our border, as a deterrent to those thinking about it, and there is, in my mind anyway, absolutely no justification whatsoever for BP agents to be left in the position of possibly walking into an ambush when even a local police officer is provided the added measure of safety provided by a helicopter overhead during a traffic stop.

One last time: I'd like to speak with current or former border officers.


Good luck with your project. My apologies if I sounded like I had you "under the bare bulb" so to speak.....that wasn't my intent.

Yes, I am.

That's a good thing for two reasons:

I pick my own topics. So I put my livelihood on the line to investigate and publish border agent needs. That concern stems from my days flying A-10s in Tucson when the first formation of the day had to clear illegals off the live weapons ranges lest we killed them accidentally.

Leaders pay much more attention to expensive reports. Think about it: What has more impact, a newspaper editorial or something the exec had to justify in his budget?

Originally Posted by NoBueno

Special-Ed,

You used the words commercial report in your initital post/request. Are you being compensated for this report?

"The biggest obstacle might not be in marketing the support but in obtaining the "permission" and funding to utilize it."

Most of our customers are not in the US government."

"There does not, unfortunately, seem to be much interest amongst those controlling the purse strings, in "allowing" BP to get what they need."

No doubt. That's yet another reason why experienced agents should cooperate. This may be a unique way to document their real needs. Who else will listen?

"It's really no wonder that BP agents feel the way that they do. The cat has been let out of the bag about the numbers of criminals working for the other side who have made it into the BP so these agents don't ever know who their co-workers really are."

That's likely a more important point than you can know. There's a way to sort them out, but I won't publish it here.

"The numbers being attacked and/or killed have risen dramatically and their own employer.....our government....ties their hands in terms of what they can do to defend themselves to placate foreign nations and special interests while continuing to dismiss concerns about their safety by denying that we "have a problem" on this side of the border."

I see that fact. Part of my report will include an operating concept for non-governmental organizations that want to monitor the borders and publish what they find - even in live video feeds.

"And, of course, the message has been very clearly received as to what happens to those who actually do their jobs, let alone speak out."

Again, there are no names in my reports. Period. There's no chance cooperating agents will be highlighted.

"You do bring up a very good point Ed, one I've often wondered about myself in fact."

The saddest part is that the scenario I described is the easiest of the capabilities to deliver.

"Why isn't there use of, specifically, law enforcement choppers on the border? Even our local sheriff and police departments use choppers for routine patrols and the officers most certainly can depend on them being overhead when they need them.....especially when they are in an area doing a search."

Sorry, that's beyond my expertise (though I do know how to fly helicopters).

"It doesn't make a bit of sense that they aren't using aviation to help locate those trying to breach our border, as a deterrent to those thinking about it, and there is, in my mind anyway, absolutely no justification whatsoever for BP agents to be left in the position of possibly walking into an ambush when even a local police officer is provided the added measure of safety provided by a helicopter overhead during a traffic stop."

The fixes are painfully easy. But it's unlikely to happen without BP officer cooperation ...

"Good luck with your project. My apologies if I sounded like I had you "under the bare bulb" so to speak.....that wasn't my intent."

You're fine, my friend. Thanks for your attention.

'Special' Ed

Special Ed,

We would like to assist you but our contact with federal officials and personelle is heavily protected under our privacy policy.

Yes, if someone saw your post and decided to contact you that would be up to them.

We do not divulge any information about our supporters and we must be wary of attempts to glean such identifying information about some of our folks.

There are many great patriots still working in our nation's governmental agencies, but most of the good ones are in fear for their jobs right now and DHS has expressly prohibited our agents from talking with anyone for interviews.

W

"Yes, if someone saw your post and decided to contact you that would be up to them."

That's really is my bottom line for putting this effort into Alipac.

"There are many great patriots still working in our nation's governmental agencies, but most of the good ones are in fear for their jobs right now and DHS has expressly prohibited our agents from talking with anyone for interviews."

Of course they do. I've worked for such a bureaucracy in the past as well.

The bottom line is simple and transparent: I can use published material and my own judgment - or I can use agent experience without attribution. Both will create a useful paper but only the latter will best serve those patriots.

I have until 31 August to collect data ...