Border guards halt joint operations with police in shock move
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By Chris Cobb, Postmedia News December 26, 2010
OTTAWA — Canada’s Border Service Agency has permanently halted all joint operations with police forces across the country.
CBSA upper managers, in a long-running dispute with the 4,800-member Customs and Immigration Union over whether customs officers should be armed during joint operations, made the announcement in a written statement late Christmas Eve.
The customs officers’ union has constantly maintained that its work with police forces is helping keep drugs, guns and explosives off Canadian streets.
But the officers, trained in specialized searches, say they need to be armed when taking part in operations with police because the work can be dangerous and typically they are not told what type of situation they are walking into.
Commonly using sniffer dogs, the guards are often brought in to high-risk raids operations to search for drugs imported by organized crime — Hells Angels clubhouses, for example.
Customs officers are, however, obliged to wear bulletproof vests while on these missions.
CBA bosses in Ottawa were apparently opposed to their officers carrying weapons on joint operations because of legal considerations and insisted that the requesting police forces should be responsible for protection.
Joint ops were voluntary for customs officers and while the work is often dangerous, many have volunteered because they enjoy the work.
“Our people want to participate,” said union president Ron Moran. “They are like trained soldiers who want to be among the action. But they also want to be as safe as possible.”
There is no rationale for sending firearm-trained guards into dangerous situations without their weapons, added Moran.
“These people are well-trained and firearms are an integral part of that training,” he said.
To avoid leaks about planned raids, border guards are rarely given details about a search until it is about to begin.
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Article Link
By Chris Cobb, Postmedia News December 26, 2010
OTTAWA — Canada’s Border Service Agency has permanently halted all joint operations with police forces across the country.
CBSA upper managers, in a long-running dispute with the 4,800-member Customs and Immigration Union over whether customs officers should be armed during joint operations, made the announcement in a written statement late Christmas Eve.
The customs officers’ union has constantly maintained that its work with police forces is helping keep drugs, guns and explosives off Canadian streets.
But the officers, trained in specialized searches, say they need to be armed when taking part in operations with police because the work can be dangerous and typically they are not told what type of situation they are walking into.
Commonly using sniffer dogs, the guards are often brought in to high-risk raids operations to search for drugs imported by organized crime — Hells Angels clubhouses, for example.
Customs officers are, however, obliged to wear bulletproof vests while on these missions.
CBA bosses in Ottawa were apparently opposed to their officers carrying weapons on joint operations because of legal considerations and insisted that the requesting police forces should be responsible for protection.
Joint ops were voluntary for customs officers and while the work is often dangerous, many have volunteered because they enjoy the work.
“Our people want to participate,” said union president Ron Moran. “They are like trained soldiers who want to be among the action. But they also want to be as safe as possible.”
There is no rationale for sending firearm-trained guards into dangerous situations without their weapons, added Moran.
“These people are well-trained and firearms are an integral part of that training,” he said.
To avoid leaks about planned raids, border guards are rarely given details about a search until it is about to begin.
More on link
