That’s a great idea. I think ill remove my front door and put in a thermal imaging device that allows me to know when someone comes in uninvited. /s
This does us no good. It simply means we intercept them and delay their journey for a few weeks as we document and log them in, provide then with a phone and a court date before turning them over to Catholic social services.
...before holding them for a few days then turning them loose en masse when the government “shuts down.”
“This does us no good.”
Glass is half empty huh? Fixing policy also does us no good if we can’t stop them and catch them. We need to have all the elements - Infrastructure, Technology, People and Policy.
What’s happening in San Diego is transformative - it will be like a Mission Impossible jewel heist to get through there undetected when it is done.
This technology lets a single Border Patrol Officer in a patrol vehicle see them approaching the border while they are still a mile back, even if they are low crawling in a Ghillie suit. One guy can be dramatically more effective. Much higher detection, and much more time to intercept equals much higher apprehension rate. Early interceptions, before they cross the first barrier, can deter crossing, if a cop has already pulled up and shone a light on them.
San Diego is currently replacing its old landing mat fence with 18 foot bollards with the anti-climb plate. The recent caravan swarmed over and through the landing mat, but none went over or through the bollards. About nine miles of the 14 is done, and it is scheduled to be done not later than May. That first layer basically screens out people to trying to free climb over the barrier - only ladders, ropes and teams will be taking it on - likely a 90% reduction.
A contract was recently awarded to install another layer of 30 foot bollards behind the 18 footers, which is to start in a couple of months. They will have to cross a clear exclusion area to get to the 30 footers, with their footfalls being reported from buried sensors, and with artificial intelligence programs monitoring the cameras and sensor feeds unblinkingly. It will be harder to get gear like ladders and ropes over the first barrier and to the second one. Unlike existing barrier (landing mat, chain link fence and concertina), no power tools will let them breach quickly - bollards can stop a speeding truck. Their only option would be to scale.
A fall from 30 feet is fatal in 50% or better of cases. An anti-climb obstacle at the top of those bollards (Smooth plate, barrel tops, concertina, or electrified “bug zappers”) would transform it into the circus acrobat/International jewel thief level of difficulty. Very quickly, they will head off for other areas of the border. Door closed.
With these barriers and technology (and other sensor/alarm/monitoring technology being installed there), San Diego will be transformed by the end of 2019. When just the first layer is done in April/May, it will be quieted down big time.
Sad but true.