NCJ Number
201007
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 70 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2003 Pages: 41-42, 46,48
Date Published
June 2003
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article discusses some of the various ways in which Federal law enforcement officials are protecting the United States borders against terrorism, unlawful entry, smuggling, and drug and human trafficking.
Abstract
The events of September 11, 2001, have thrust the United States Border Patrol into the spotlight in terms of homeland security. Border Patrol officials are required to research emerging technologies that can contribute to enhanced capability, effectiveness, and efficiency of border enforcement and management activities. Geographical information systems (GIS) are a key technological tool enabling and modernizing Border Patrol operations at all levels. The ESRI ArcView GIS computer desktop mapping and GIS software computes accurate position coordinates, elevation, speed, and time from signals transmitted by the Navstar global positioning satellite. An additional technological invention that is enabling Border Patrols to better conduct their work is the Latitude/Longitude Web-enabled database that allows law enforcement officials in the field to have access to quick, accurate, and cost-effective methods for capturing location data of field incidents during the course of enforcement operations. Because human smuggling is an increasingly lucrative criminal enterprise and therefore a primary focus of the Border Patrol, a key tool used in identifying intrusions in remote border areas is the intelligent computer-aided dispatch system that interprets motion along trail routes through a series of seismic sensors. The incorporation of various GIS technologies is enabling Border Patrols to more effectively protect United States borders in remote areas and at night.