Canadian border fence pondered by U.S.

[acidhead]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/09/29/fence-border-canada.html

Sep 29, 2011

The United States is looking at building fences along the border with Canada to help keep out terrorists and other criminals.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has proposed the use of "fencing and other barriers" on the 49th parallel to manage "trouble spots where passage of cross-border violators is difficult to control."

The border service is also pondering options including a beefed-up technological presence through increased use of radar, sensors, cameras, drones and vehicle scanners. In addition, it might continue to improve or expand customs facilities at ports of entry.

The agency considered but ruled out the possibility of hiring "significantly more" U.S. Border Patrol agents to increase the rate of inspections, noting staffing has already risen in recent years.

The proposals are spelled out in a new draft report by the border service that examines the possible environmental impact of the various options over the next five to seven years.

However, the agency would use fencing and other barriers such as trenches to control movement and sometimes delay people trying to sneak across the border, increasing the likelihood they could be caught, says the report.

It doesn't provide details about what the fences might look like, but suggests they would be designed to blend into the environment and "complement the natural landscape."

The approach would also involve upgrading roadways and trails near the border.

"The lack of roads or presence of unmaintained roads impedes efficient surveillance operations," says the report. "Improving or expanding the roadway and trail networks could improve mobility, allowing agents to patrol more miles each day and shortening response times."

Over the last two years, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has already made what it calls "critical security improvements along the northern border," adding inspectors at the ports of entry and Border Patrol agents between ports, as well as modernizing land crossings.

Nearly 3,800 Customs and Border Protection officers scrutinize people and goods at crossings. The number of Border Patrol agents working between crossings along the northern parallel has increased 700 per cent since Sept. 11, 2001. And some three dozen land ports of entry are being modernized.

*****

modernized?

[rashore]

Not terribly surprising to me. I remember a few months back the US gave several millions split among a few states to improve border security too. I only remember that because Detroit received a bunch of cash from it. I think the modernizing was stuff like more security cameras, that sort of thing.

I think a fence would be kind of moot half the time. With the way it snows, people could just pile it up and make ramps right over the fence, lol.

[Ravek]

Its Canada...Why are we wasting money on Canada?! All they do is wake up at 5AM, drive to their nearest Tim Hortons and drive back home. Thats it!

(JK of course)

Seriously though, if a terrorist wants to get into ANY country, I'm sure they have the means to. And some fence that "blends into the natural enviroment" is not going to stop them.

[Bavarian Raven]

really, cuz the canadian/US is the main border the US should be worried about

[questionmark]

well acid, with radicals like you up there I can perfectly understand it

[theGhost_and_theDarkness]

really, cuz the canadian/US is the main border the US should be worried about

Have you ever seen the movie Canadian Bacon???

. . .They walk among us. . .

I never waste an opportunity to bring up that movie.

[__Kratos__]

A few extra bucks up north can't hurt. The Canadians aren't as opposed to this as they'd like us to believe... They want us to stop the flow of guns to their cities, drugs and such that cross the border every day.

[Thanato]

So is that to keep US illegals out of Canada?

~Thanato

[ninjadude]

Another really stupid idea. And yeah, I think it is to keep the US out of Canada not the other way around.

[Varelse]

Mr. Gorbachev, tear that wall down!!! Oh wait. Our walls are good walls... ;?

[Aus Der Box Skeptisch]

Pretty soon these fences will be used to keep us in instead of others out.

This is rediculous. Tear down the fences not build them. How many countries have put up fences and torn them down because they finally Realize how damaging it is. We hate the other side by default as humans. We don't even like the sound of other side of the tracks. This fear mongering rhetoric and lazy approach that bandaids what is really the problem to pacify a people's minds that were brainwashed to fear other humans has got to end.

Dig deep people you know deep down that this has never been a solution. You simply want it to be.

Edited September 30, 2011 by Aus Der Box Skeptisch

[Biff Wellington]

Another really stupid idea. And yeah, I think it is to keep the US out of Canada not the other way around.

That's gotta be it. I've never heard of the problem involving Canadians coming over here illegally, trying to cure our ham in their image.

Pretty soon these fences will be used to keep us in instead of others out.

This is rediculous. Tear down the fences not build them. How many countries have put up fences and torn them down because they finally Realize how damaging it is. We hate the other side by default as humans. We don't even like the sound of other side of the tracks. This fear mongering rhetoric and lazy approach that bandaids what is really the problem to pacify a people's minds that were brainwashed to fear other humans has got to end.

Dig deep people you know deep down that this has never been a solution. You simply want it to be.

Well put! Edited September 30, 2011 by BiffWellington

[glorybebe]

That's gotta be it. I've never heard of the problem involving Canadians coming over here illegally, trying to cure our ham in their image.

LOL! When I was a kid, we lived very close to the border, it was a 15 minute drive. We would see guys come traipsing out of the bush coming from the US, sneaking into Canada. But, seriously, I am sure that there are people going back and forth all the time and the US is trying to prevent that.

[Corp]

meh, this comes up about every year or so. nothing ever comes of it and I don't see that changing in the near future.

[Thanato]

meh, this comes up about every year or so. nothing ever comes of it and I don't see that changing in the near future.

Ya lol, but it is rather funny as to why they would want to spend billions on a security fence... hmmm To keep Americans in? Or Canadians Out? Oh well its to easy to just cross the boarder legally and just not go home lol

~Thanato

[acidhead]

well acid, with radicals like you up there I can perfectly understand it

I am radical. It describes my political views to a tee when compared to the status quo. I accept it.

'there is no wrong or right - just popular opinion'

[Travelling Man]

That's gotta be it. I've never heard of the problem involving Canadians coming over here illegally, trying to cure our ham in their image.

There is very little problem with Canadians coming into the US illegally. It's the OTHER foreign nationals that we are worried about.

I worked on a Joint Terrorism Task Force that dealt with drugs, weapons and illegal aliens coming into the US from Canada in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway areas - and the problem is rampant. Daily runs are made with weapons and drugs, and there is very little that can be done to stop it, outside of hiring thousands more CBP agents (with supporting vehicles, boats and aircraft), and/or installing a big-a$$ed fence.

So what is the fix for it?