Tighter border security discussed in Baudette

Ken Johnston
Editor

About twenty people gathered at the Baudette city hall to discuss border security issues and what has and is being done to improve it since the 9/11 attacks on New York.
Jim Gelbman, State Director for Minnesota Senator Mark Dayton lead the informal gathering which is a part of four meetings being held in the region to get local input on how U.S. federal money should be optimally allocated.
“The Border Security Act has been considered in the legislature for the past two weeks. Sen. Dayton is concerned that local law enforcement organizations are not getting enough of a say on it,” said Gelbmann.
President George Bush requested that $3.5 billion be allocated for local governments to fight terrorism. 25% of that will be given to state agencies and 75% to local agencies to combat the threat.
International Falls Port Director Tom Kantos said that the money will be a welcome addition to budgets that he says have been cut over the past 10 years. “They bled us for years taking staff from the northern border sending them to the southern border with Mexico.”
Like Canada Customs, the U.S. Customs are currently hiring and training a large number of new border guards. Gelbman said that they hope to double the number of border agents.
Prior to the sudden increase in border security funding Kantos said, “Those people have never been able to do their jobs properly because they did not have the staff.”
Gelbmann echoed Kantos noting that 92% of all Border Patrol officers are located on the southern border as well.
Baudette resident Dennis Wiese said that the border is in his opinion to vast for officials to completely guard. He suggested that a citizen groups be started to keep an eye on the border.
Border Patrol Director Ron Juahola said that they do rely on the public to be their eyes and ears. “We need you to report anything strange you see along the border.” With so few numbers of officers along the border, Juahola said that he also counts heavily on other agencies to work with the Border Patrol and often calls for their help when he is not near the reported incident.
Mary Hilbrand of Baudette, who works for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said that she is aware of public groups that are used to aid law enforcement agencies and that she would be willing to help get the groups started in the area.
Joan Sebenaller, the Assistant Port Director for Trade for the region, said that she feels the population wants all agencies to work together to provide the best possible security. She noted that since 9/11 that her agency has increased staff at all crossings and that there are at least two armed officers at each port 24 hours a day. They have also been investing in new technology including radiation page detectors that the officers wear to detect radiation.
Both local law enforcement officers present at the meeting, Pete Bauers and Bob Paulseth, said that they want the government to insure that there is a proper level of staffing at the border crossing and that border patrol also has the resources it needs to the best job possible.
Gelbmann said that the issue is two sided. “Not only do we want a safe border, but we do not want it so strict it stifles commerce.”
Hilbrand, said that as a citizen of a border community she does not want to see the border become too difficult to cross. “Many people here benefit from good relationships with our neighbours to the north. There are many cross-border marriages and we also help each other fight fires or floods as was the case in 1997.”
Gelbmann said that he is very impressed with the levels of cooperation between local agencies and with Canadian neighbours. He said that he will take what he has learned at the meeting back to Dayton and try and be sure that the funding from the federal government filters down to where it is needed and as easily as possible.