BORDER SECURITY SYSTEM

 

 

 
Text Box: Introduction Border security is one of the most important pillars of overall homeland security apparatus in place in the U.S. It is not a stand alone effort but is intimately linked with transportation security as well. The government agency responsible for this endeavour is Border & Transport Security (BTS). Border and Transportation Security is a pivotal function in protecting the American people from terrorists and their instruments of destruction. The adequate provision of BTS is an extremely complex endeavour given the scope of U.S. borders, and the volume of traffic flowing across them. Good border security management is the end desired by all practitioners. It is hinged on creating a delicate balance between two goals i.e. facilitating (and even expediting) access for people and goods that are both needed and desired and interdicting and stopping undesired people and things from entering the country. Its success depends upon sifting the ‘bad’ from ‘good’ (both people and things), subjecting them to inspection, stopping them from entering the country and at the same time not impeding the flow of legitimate cross border traffic. Desired Characteristics of Border Security System Keeping in view the goals desired, the characteristics which should be inherent in a good border security system are: Border security system should be holistic in nature. It should not focus only on physical barriers at the points of entry but comprise three parts. The first part is looking beyond i.e. outside the country to the place of origin or at the point of departure. The second would be the border itself (point of entry) and the last would be after the border crossing, the means available internally for the people and goods to reach their desired destination. It can be expanded further by including checks and balances between the points of departure at a foreign country to the point of entry at the U.S. i.e. the transportation means (airplane, train, rail or trucks). The idea is to stop the threat as far away as possible, if not then at the entry points at the border and if it also fails, then to interdict it, before it reaches its destination. It should be credible. It should be backed by government policy and necessary laws should exist to legally support the system. It should include laws at all the three tiers i.e. the federal, state and local. It should be enforceable. The system should have the necessary manpower and equipment to make it effective. The manpower should be in sufficient number to handle the flow of goods and people in an efficient manner without creating unnecessary delays. Besides they should be competent to perform their duties in terms of their education, training, motivation etc. Similarly the screening equipment provided should be state of the art which is able to do the job for which it is installed. Equipment like video cameras, ground sensors, radiation detectors, geographic information systems, and latest technology such as biometrics, UAV (unmanned air vehicles) etc should be employed. The equipment should be able to cover all dimensions of perceived threats. Sniffing dogs are another option to make the system foolproof. It should be adaptable. The border security system should be backed by an efficient intelligence system. It should be kept informed of the changing nature of threat and their timings and its databases should be updated on regular basis. If all these steps are done, only then the system can adapt to the emerging threats. The system should have redundancy. The system should have in-built resilience and a back up system in case the primary fails so that the system continues to function without coming to a halt. It should be creative. To make it effective, the vision should explore all avenues, even outreach. The effectiveness can be multiplied if other actors in the border security enforcement efforts are also engaged. Neighboring countries like Canada and Mexico in particular and other countries who are trading partners can be included in the system to put in their efforts to stop the suspected goods and people at the origin. Furthermore, private sector which is a stake holder in the entire gambit can also be asked for cooperation. It should be responsive. Those agencies or parties who are fully compliant of security measures and have good track record must be rewarded. Their goods (and people) should have priority in passing through the borders and their case must be dealt in an expeditious manner. In trade, time is the essence. Any delays at the entry points can cost a lot of money which can go into millions of dollars. Importance of these Characteristics Border (and transportation security) is an important component of the overall homeland security effort. If not foolproof, it has to be nearly foolproof. To attain the stated goals of stopping undesired people and goods from entering the U.S. and at the same time facilitating (or even expediting) flow of legitimate traffic, the system has to be effective and efficient. To be that, it has to have the characteristics mentioned above. There are a number of reasons for that. Even if one of the characteristics mentioned above is missing, the system is liable for failure with unacceptable consequences. Either the undesired people or goods will enter the U.S. and inflict colossal damage and destruction to the people or infrastructure, or cause huge economic and financial losses running into billions of dollars. All the characteristics are all equally important in their own merit. The threats of terrorism which has become number one on the list, is perpetrated by groups of individuals who are highly imaginative and adaptive. This they have proved in the past. So to counter them, the system has to be even smarter. Since the border security is the first line of defense in the entire concept of homeland security, if it fails, it will put undue pressures on its other aspects. Once meshed in the society, the goods and people are very difficult to track and apprehend.