The U.S. Border Patrol is an important part of our federal law enforcement. Most do not realize the scope of their duties. The following overview will help you to fully understand their role in Homeland Security.
Mission
The Border Patrol's primary mission is to prevent any terrorists and their weapons from entering our country. This includes weapons of mass destruction.
They protect our borders regardless of the extreme weather conditions, from the burning heat of summers to the freezing conditions at our northern borders.
Although their main goal is to identify and stop illegal aliens from entering the U.S., the criteria for border protection have changed over the last 75 years.
It is with the combined effort of other law enforcement officers that we are able to allow legal immigration and goods, while at the same time averting illegal smuggling of people and goods.
The agents work 24/7 in different extreme weather conditions and terrain. They patrol approximately 6,000 miles of land borders that include Mexico and Canada. Coastal waters are also patrolled around the Florida Peninsula and Puerto Rico.
Staffing
The Border Patrol was established in 1924 and has gone from a few agents on horses to what it is today. As of 2008, there were over 17,000 agents patrolling our borders.
In 1994 the I.N.S. (Immigration and Naturalization Service) was responsible for the development and implementation of the agencies first ever National Patrol Strategy which insured increased staffing.
The recruiting program for the agency is aggressive in efforts to recruit new agents into the government.
Training
There is 19 weeks of training for new agents. The training is done at the Border Patrol Academy in New Mexico, which is part of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.
Operations
The Border Patrol is responsible for detecting and apprehending illegal aliens and smugglers at or near the borders. To achieve this it is necessary to maintain surveillance, follow-up on leads, respond to electronic sensors and aircraft sightings and follow and interpret tracks.
Highway checkpoints are maintained along our highways that lead from borders. Investigations on smuggling, city patrol and transportation checks are just some of the duties conducted.
It is very difficult to establish the border line in deserts, mountains and canyons, that are uninhabited, so the Border Patrol uses a variety of equipment and techniques to help them. Electronic sensors are used to detect people and vehicles trying to enter our country illegally.
Illegal entries are also detected by night vision devices and video monitors.
Our borders are patrolled in vehicles, aircraft, boats and on foot.
There are certain areas where horses, all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles, bicycles and snow-mobiles are used. Unmanned aerial vehicles have recently been added for air surveillance
Horse Runs On Petrol by BlogOfPakistan
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5239678
Mission
The Border Patrol's primary mission is to prevent any terrorists and their weapons from entering our country. This includes weapons of mass destruction.
They protect our borders regardless of the extreme weather conditions, from the burning heat of summers to the freezing conditions at our northern borders.
Although their main goal is to identify and stop illegal aliens from entering the U.S., the criteria for border protection have changed over the last 75 years.
It is with the combined effort of other law enforcement officers that we are able to allow legal immigration and goods, while at the same time averting illegal smuggling of people and goods.
The agents work 24/7 in different extreme weather conditions and terrain. They patrol approximately 6,000 miles of land borders that include Mexico and Canada. Coastal waters are also patrolled around the Florida Peninsula and Puerto Rico.
Staffing
The Border Patrol was established in 1924 and has gone from a few agents on horses to what it is today. As of 2008, there were over 17,000 agents patrolling our borders.
In 1994 the I.N.S. (Immigration and Naturalization Service) was responsible for the development and implementation of the agencies first ever National Patrol Strategy which insured increased staffing.
The recruiting program for the agency is aggressive in efforts to recruit new agents into the government.
Training
There is 19 weeks of training for new agents. The training is done at the Border Patrol Academy in New Mexico, which is part of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.
Operations
The Border Patrol is responsible for detecting and apprehending illegal aliens and smugglers at or near the borders. To achieve this it is necessary to maintain surveillance, follow-up on leads, respond to electronic sensors and aircraft sightings and follow and interpret tracks.
Highway checkpoints are maintained along our highways that lead from borders. Investigations on smuggling, city patrol and transportation checks are just some of the duties conducted.
It is very difficult to establish the border line in deserts, mountains and canyons, that are uninhabited, so the Border Patrol uses a variety of equipment and techniques to help them. Electronic sensors are used to detect people and vehicles trying to enter our country illegally.
Illegal entries are also detected by night vision devices and video monitors.
Our borders are patrolled in vehicles, aircraft, boats and on foot.
There are certain areas where horses, all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles, bicycles and snow-mobiles are used. Unmanned aerial vehicles have recently been added for air surveillance
Horse Runs On Petrol by BlogOfPakistan
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5239678
