Either It’s a Real Border Or It Isn’t

Janet Napolitano has made it clear that, from the US point of view, the Canada/US border needs to be a “real” border complete with added security and defences. While many may disagree, the fact of the matter is that the US, as a sovereign country, has every right to restrict their borders as they feel is appropriate.

But what the US does *not* have authority to do is request that their officers be given powers on *our* side of this real border.

Two programs, one that has been piloted and looks to be continue and one that while failed in talks the first time may still come up again, are showing that the US is demanding a more defined border while trying to overstep their boundaries. One of those programs is Shiprider.

The shiprider program is a joint venture between the RCMP and USCG (United States Coast Guard) where members of each force ride on the same vessel to patrol waters. So instead of two separate fleets performing the same job, this allows one unified border patrol across the line dividing Canada and the US through water ways.

From an article about the program on the RCMP website:

Upon graduation, each officer was cross-designated as a law enforcement officer for the other country — RCMP members were cross-designated as U.S. officers of the customs and USCG officers were cross-designated as supernumerary constables of the RCMP.

Interesting…so we (Canada) basically gave USCG officers honorary status within the RCMP? This doesn’t sound like a strong, separated border to me. In fact, it sounds like an opportunity for US officers to have an inroad to Canadian waters...and possibly airspace and land as well. According to the Council of Canadians:

CBC radio also reported last year that U.S. Coast Guard ships have been entering Canadian waters in the St. Lawrence to investigate and even question Canadians, in one case simply for snapping photos. But Shiprider appears to go much further than patrolling shared waters.

The RCMP and Coast Guard "are partnering with a number of other agencies, including provincial police, the Canadian Forces, U.S. state police and immigration and border patrol agencies to also develop the capability to pursue criminals on the ground and in the air," claimed Cpl. Luc Bessette of the RCMP.

So while the RCMP may tout the success in arrests and illegal goods discovered, they’re also downplaying the larger issue in all of this: our sovereignty being threatened. If Ms. Napolitano wants a “real” border, so be it. But she can’t bend the rules that suit only US interests and as Canadians we should be outraged that our government has allowed these policies and decisions to go through without public input or response.