Gov't Considers Using Border Patrol Volunteers

[Kadie]

Gov't Considers Using Border Patrol Volunteers

POSTED: 4:32 pm PDT July 20, 2005
UPDATED: 4:40 pm PDT July 20, 2005

LOS ANGELES -- The federal government is thinking of training volunteer border patrol groups such as the Minuteman Project and organizing them into a kind of Border Patrol auxiliary.

Robert Bonner, head of Customs and Border Protection, said the idea's in a very preliminary stage. He said auxiliaries are common among police and fire agencies, even the military, so why not for the Border Patrol?

Bonner said his agency "welcomes the eyes and ears" of citizens, as long as they help "in a responsible way."

more...
http://www.thekcrachannel.com/news/4749832/detail.html






Border chief says citizen volunteers could form patrol auxiliary
By JEREMIAH MARQUEZ, By JEREMIAH MARQUEZ

Wednesday, July 20, 2005



(07-20) 16:32 PDT Los Angeles (AP) --


The top U.S. border enforcement official said in an interview Wednesday that his agency is exploring ways to involve citizen volunteers in creating "something akin to a Border Patrol auxiliary" — a significant shift in rhetoric that comes after a high-profile civilian campaign this spring along the Arizona-Mexico border.


Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert C. Bonner told The Associated Press that his agency has focused on involving citizens after noting the willingness of volunteers to help federal agents catch illegal immigrants.


"It is actually as a result of seeing that there is the possibility in local border communities, and maybe even beyond, of having citizens that would be willing to volunteer to help the Border Patrol," Bonner said. "But with some training and being organized in a way that would be something akin to a Border Patrol auxiliary."


"We value having eyes and ears of citizens and I think that would be one of the things we are looking at is how you better organize, let's say, a citizen effort," he said.

more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/07/20/state/n163239D25.DTL