Posted on 08/27/2008 6:09:10 PM PDT by 3AngelaD
IMPERIAL BEACH – Law enforcement officers wanted: must work graveyard shifts alone in remote towns along the Mexican border, put in long hours and perform well in triple-digit temperatures. That message is never touted in U.S. Border Patrol recruitment brochures, but the sobering reality of working on the border has created an environment in which about 30 percent of agents leave their jobs in less than 18 months...
The Border Patrol's struggle to keep new hires has become more evident as the agency comes close to meeting President Bush's target of 18,000 agents by the end of the year, up from 12,000 two years ago and double the number from eight years ago. The hiring surge means 42 percent of agents have less than three years on the job.
The GAO estimates that taxpayers pay $14,700 for each trainee at the Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, N.M. That 2006 figure doesn't take into account the many additional hours that senior agents spend training hires during a two-year probationary period...
The attrition rate for entry-level agents – generally those who have been on the job for 18 months or less – is 29.6 percent since October, up from 23.7 percent during the previous 12-month period and 22.7 percent the year before, the agency said. Senior agents tend to stay put, but the growing number of newcomers has raised the Border Patrol's overall attrition rate to 10.9 percent since October from 9.6 percent during the previous 12-month period and 6.7 percent the year before.
Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez of California said the attrition rate signals a need to slow hiring.
“The solution is to give the (Border Patrol) chief a bit of breathing space to find the right recruits,” she said....
(Excerpt) Read more at signonsandiego.com ...
I know where they can get two good agents ... just have Bush release them for duty ....
Probably not the best policy if morale truly is your concern.
I wouldn’t recommend anyone work for Border Patrol until we get a government that is serious about securing the border, and respects what these men are charged with doing.
It's a tough environment physically and it's also very hard when the head bosses, Bush and the federal government, really don't want you to be successful in your job to secure America's borders.
It doesn’t help that border patrol agents are apt to be sent to prison for doing their jobs,
While we're at it, why don't we get some of those National Guard troops that were smuggling illegal aliens across the border for cash?
There's a reason criminals go to prison, and it's generally not a good idea to have them enforce the law.
Ping!
Gotta admit it’s a thankless job.
Kolbe’s ‘no checkpoints’ checkpoint on AZ90 is back in operation. I thank the agents there every time I go through.
You should see the new fence going up at the Imperial dunes and the new checkpoints along I-8. Also there are many mor Border Patrol vehicles visible now along I-8.
It makes you wonder why we don’t have a Militarized Border in a time of War.
I would just say have the Army patrol the border. There’s no need for a separate Border Patrol agency.
Yeah, because the Army has so much spare time on its hands right now.
I bet she would have the BP disbanded altogether given a choice.
Another Quisling in the guise of U.S. politician.
Political correctness is the the main reason for all the Border Patrol’s problems. Get rid of PC and we have instant border security.
Kind of makes that whole WOT deal seem like a farce, doesn’t it?
Is that the dumbest thing you've ever heard or what? If you want to keep the BP manned, you had better increase hiring in the face of high attrition. Yes, we need to get smarter about recruiting candidates more likely to stay. But slowing hiring is a recipe for under-manning, increased danger to those on the job, and lower morale.
Border Patrol are our heros working on the front lines
Shame that the criminal received less time than the agents
These guys are under alot of pressure on the border
sign petition at Grassfire.org by clicking here.
also
comments@whitehouse.gov
202-456-1111
was trying to post the link to the petition, but it didnt work. please visit the website Grassfire.org
thanks
Depends on who you talk to. I conducted some business at the facility where they train BP agents and other federal law enforcement officers and I was told that there was such a huge push to bring Spanish speaking BP agents onboard, that they hadn't had time to properly vette the new hires. The result was that, during their training, they were weeding out and sending home approximately 30-50% of the new hires whi, it turns out, happened to be Mexican drug runners.
Thanks for the ping. Very interesting. Great thread.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.