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US Border Patrol, Port Angeles, WA-

 

The Border Patrol has worked against itself on the Olympic Peninsula.

Secret arrest statistics and denied FOIA requests do not enhance agency credibility. Local law enforcement organizations avoid all this by establishing working relationships with the press.

Aug 2010-

A US Border Patrol spokesperson tells the press:

“Border Patrol spokeswoman Jenny Burke said Monday that the agency will not release any information on the number of arrests made by agents who work out of the Port Angeles station, the names of those arrested, what they were arrested for and the disposition of their cases”

“The number of arrests for Port Angeles’ or any other station is “law enforcement-sensitive,” Burke said.”

“The names of those arrested and other facts about them are not available for release under the 1974 Privacy Act, she said.”

 

Imagine a school district wanting to expand staff and facilities and, at the same time- suppressing public information Re: the number of students enrolled, teachers on staff and number of students graduated in the past 36 months.

“…the Border Patrol has refused to divulge the number of agents in Port Angeles…”

 

Take a look at a US Border Patrol station that established a working relationship with the press:

The people of Erie, PA did not have to submit a FOIA request to find out what justified the expansion of their local Border Patrol station-

No public information/security conflict at the U.S. Border Patrol station (not sector) in Erie, PA.

Erie Station- similar to Port Angeles in that it is separated from Canada by water.

Note: reports of the expansion at Erie include numbers of arrests out of that station:

“The Border Patrol operations in Erie, nearly six years old, include more than 30 agents who apprehended 588 illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2008-09.”

“The Border Patrol’s apprehensions in the Erie area have grown steadily, from 332 in fiscal 2006-2007 to 588 in 2008-09 to 305 so far in 2009-10.

Of those apprehended so far this fiscal year, 136 were individuals found by other law enforcement agencies and turned over to the Border Patrol.”

 

Some will say- if the US Border Patrol at Port Angeles was left alone to do its job- priorities would be properly addressed.

Under the old rules- to include suspicionless checkpoints & bus boardings- away from border crossings and ports of entry, language interpretation for the US Forest Service, language translation for local law enforcement agencies, full, pre-sequestration funding and mysterious federal traffic stops away from border crossings and ports of entry- has the Border Patrol at Port Angeles stopped any heroin from entering the US?

Has the Border Patrol at Port Angeles stopped any Latin American immigrants from illegally entering the US?

No arrest linked to the US/Canada border in more than 3 years

 

Maybe it’s time for investigative journalists to make appointments, schedule interviews and ask some questions. Suggested topics here: News tip/story idea

If no answers are available, please do a story describing the working relationship you have with the Washington State Patrol, local sheriffs departments and city police departments. Any denied FOIA requests generated by these agencies?  Please compare to the Border Patrol at Port Angeles.

 

Related:

DEA, DHS & Heroin at Port Angeles

What role does the Border Patrol play in keeping heroin out of Port Angeles?

Olympic Peninsula Border Patrol timeline

The legal drug dealers sold 371 tons of pills to people who did not need them-

Possibly of interest:

The Garage Sale Incident

Discuss on facebook here, or here.

 

 

Photo- Salt Creek/Crescent Beach