The Border Control Guard You Can't Win Over With A Smile

[JohnKelly]

The theme of the attached article is on high tech border control but it is interesting to note the high turnover of US Border Control Officers in comparison to other US Law Enforcement positions,

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/2019...nt-reason-with

[Exbpa340]

The theme of the attached article is on high tech border control but it is interesting to note the high turnover of US Border Control Officers in comparison to other US Law Enforcement positions,

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/2019...nt-reason-with

First let me say that it is difficult to take an news article like this serious because it can’t even get the basics correct. In the US we have Customs and Border Protection Officers (Port of Entries) and Border Patrol Agents (in between Port of Entries). The name of the agency is Customs and Border Protection not Customs and Border Patrol. The article claims that Unisys began working with Customs and Border Patrol (Protection) following the 9/11 in 2001 but this agency wasn’t created until 2003. Sloppy reporting.

There are many reasons why Border Patrol Agents and CBP Officers have an above average turnover rate compared to other Officers/agents but by far the biggest issue is location. Many of the duty locations for these agencies are in ver undesirable locations and transferring within the agency is very difficult.

[JohnKelly]

First let me say that it is difficult to take an news article like this serious because it can’t even get the basics correct. In the US we have Customs and Border Protection Officers (Port of Entries) and Border Patrol Agents (in between Port of Entries). The name of the agency is Customs and Border Protection not Customs and Border Patrol. The article claims that Unisys began working with Customs and Border Patrol (Protection) following the 9/11 in 2001 but this agency wasn’t created until 2003. Sloppy reporting.

There are many reasons why Border Patrol Agents and CBP Officers have an above average turnover rate compared to other Officers/agents but by far the biggest issue is location. Many of the duty locations for these agencies are in ver undesirable locations and transferring within the agency is very difficult.

The article as I read it was about high tech in border control and although the US gets a mention, it wasn't just about the US; it was an an article directed towards international travellers and how such high tech would affect the future of border protection and its services throughout the world be it as a government official or a traveller.

I'm sure the Border Patrol Officers in Australia, China, Russia, the UK or Canada would have the same issues as those in the US irrespective of their title.

[Exbpa340]

A significant portion of the article was about the US. How do you explain the error Customs and Border Patrol (Protection) or the claim that the company has been working with CBP since 2001 but CBP wasn’t created until 2003? In my opinion this article is sloppy so it is hard to trust the other information because he couldn’t even get the basics right.

[JohnKelly]

The article was written by Molly Kendrick a freelance writer from New York and my interest in her article related to how hi tech would affect border control in the countries I have previously mentioned; if you think the article is sloppy that's fine and I can offer you no explanation as to any error she may have made in the article.

[Exbpa340]

The article was written by Molly Kendrick a freelance writer from New York and my interest in her article related to how hi tech would affect border control in the countries I have previously mentioned; if you think the article is sloppy that's fine and I can offer you no explanation as to any error she may have made in the article.

Regardless of the sex or claimed gender of the author (he, she, se, sie, hir, co, them, their, they) the article is sloppy. A freelance author from New York with a lack of attention to detail is not exactly a subject matter expert on border enforcement issues.

[Cockney Corner.]

Well if AI stops me getting pulled over for further questioning every time I cross a national border, I'm all for it. I'm ex-Immigration, current Police and it seems to happen every damn time. My wife' s explanation is that I look a serial killer so maybe computers won't have this anti serial killer prejudice.

[JohnKelly]

Well if AI stops me getting pulled over for further questioning every time I cross a national border, I'm all for it. I'm ex-Immigration, current Police and it seems to happen every damn time. My wife' s explanation is that I look a serial killer so maybe computers won't have this anti serial killer prejudice.

There again, here's what happens when the computers go down,

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/was-australia-at-risk-while-automated-immigration-systems-were-down-at-airports-across-the-country

[Sleuth]

Keep in mind, the US/Mexico border is the only place in the world where a 1st world country has a direct land border with a 3rd world country!

And I do NOT trust technology - it takes a human to make decisions.

I did 17 years on the Mexican border as an investigator for U.S. Customs. Tech can tell us 'someone is there', but not 'who, and what are their intentions'.

[battlewagon]

Is she your spouse or something? You're really going to bat for an author whose article is junk.

"Border guards are not known for their sympathetic attitude but a growing reliance on technology could strip the humanity out of crossing borders entirely" besides being a bad article, clearly this lady is worried more about the feelings and emotions of interacting with border officials. Who cares.

[Sleuth]

So many issues in the item - I suspect she has no real interest, but was assigned the job.
Just a few that leap out at me:

All the 'testing' I have read about trying to find those who lie has been bogus, because there is no or very limited risk involved. When the truth may get you 5-10 years in custody, there is far more risk, and finding the liars becomes easier. Add in the loss of your car (seized as an 'instrumentality), a large amount of money, and your freedom tends to "sharpen their minds", and induce all kinds of physical effects. Asking someone if they had eggs at breakfast means nothing. And most of the test subjects were college students, submitting to the 'test' for the money, with no negative outcome for lying.

There is no requirement for a warrant for any degree of search when entering the U.S. We routinely take cars apart, even breaking down the tires. I have taken people to a Doctor for an internal cavity probe w/o a warrant. There are some civil rights you do NOT have until you pass Customs examination. The ""expert"" on Law, Brain and Behavior" must be from the medical, not the legal side.

Profiling WORKS! Customs has been doing it since 1789, and we arrested lots of people because they 'fit the profile' and subsequent search found smuggled goods.

And I don't believe the writer is from the US - people her talk about long lines, not long queues - not that it matters.

I have seen Customs Inspectors look into a group of 300+ people just off a flight from Europe, and select someone they want to inspect. More times than not, they would seize thousands of dollars worth of watches, jewelry, drugs, and more from those folks. After years of watching people, the Inspectors know what to look for.

Put this article in the "Garbage in, Garbage out' file.