Us Customs Inspector

[sgtjoeusmc]

I got offered employment last year by Customs as an Inspector. Are there any Inspectors out here? That can tell me the everyday duties and what kind of action there is? I notice they are really just at airports and ports. I had to postpone it because I was still active in the Marines. I am out now and they will probably hire people again in Jan -Mar of next year. Any guidance would be appreciated

joe

[BIKE837]

The "inspector" position is no longer. With the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) merger, anyone now hired is considered a "CBP" officer and is trained in customs, immigration and agriculture enforcement

I work at a land border where there is a lot of diverse action. You aren't in fights or arresting people every day, but there is a new and interesting situation almost every shift.

CBP is on a hiring freeze for now with the exception of the Border Patrol vacancy announcement that just closed I believe. It took me one and a half years to get hired and it took some of my coworkers two years, so whatever you want to do in federal LE, be prepared to wait.

Good luck to you.

[Migraman]

Depends on what your looking for devil-dog. If your a hard charger and want a little pucker factor every now and then I would suggest the Border Patrol.

I've dealt with inspectors on both borders and here are a few observations. At the busy ports down south you pretty much man a booth and suck exhaust for most of your shift. When not in the booth your inside at the desk dealing with the never-ending lines of of third world clientelle that think they have a reason to be here. Alot of the inspectors I spoke to down there expressed discontent with management issues.

On the northern border I routinely stop by the ports to shoot the s**t and gather some intelligence from time to time. Its not as busy up here but they are totally crippled by the "customer service" mentality. If they ask the hard questions or generate a complaint from the public they get reprimanded.

Just my observations, hope it helps.

Semper Fi

[Sleuth]

Inspectors get to do a variety of jobs, within the confines of a Port of Entry. Searching trucks, dealing with pedestrians, folks in cars, searching aircraft (both commercial and private), working at a pier searching oceangoing ships, etc. There is little 'action' in the police sense - few fights, no chases, no search warrents.
I retired as a Senior Special Agent, we got to do the more action oriented stuff.

[CBPSDJohn]

"There is little 'action' in the police sense - few fights, no chases, no search warrents."

Sleuth, I,m a CBP Officer and agree with what you posted except for the action part. Midnight shift at San Ysidro, there are foot chases, fights and searches without the need for a warrant all night long.

[Sleuth]

John, I know quite well. I was a Special Agent in San Ysidro from 1971 to 1987. But, compared to a local police officer, the Inspector position, while a vital and important one, does not include many of the "action" elements.

My last night as duty agent at the POE (Port of Entry) I made 6 arrests in 3 different cases. You guys did a great job then, I'm sure your doing a better one now.

[CBPSDJohn]

Sleuth, I understand what you are saying. I just wanted to make the point that there are
different types of "action", especially at the southern border. By the way, I was a Police Officer at Bullhead City Arizona from 1990 to 1996. Where are you in Arizona?

[Sleuth]

I retired from the office in Sells, on the Thono O'odham Nation, about 45 miles South West of Tucson.
Now, I live in the White Mountains at 6500 feet, outside of Show Low.