ROCHESTER: While much of the focus on the fight against terrorism is overseas, Customs and Border Protection in the Rochester area said they have an important job to do.
The three divisions, Border Patrol, Air, and Marine Operations and Field Operations comprise the largest law enforcement agency in the country. Together, they patrol the land, water and air.
Ronald Menz works in Field Operations and said he and his team have one goal. “The big goal, our mission here is preventing the entrance of terrorists and weapons in to the area. After September 11, 2001, we take more of an approach to prevent terrorists and terroristic weapons.”
He said post 9/11 is another world we live in, one that requires a collaborative approach with multiple agencies at the local, state, federal and international level. “By having officers overseas, it allows us to prevent us from having the threat ever get on a plane and get to the U.S.,” he added.
Customs and Border Protection agents said their job in Rochester is unique. Michael Werthman, who works with Border Patrol, said, “Our mission for the border here is very different from the southwest border. We don’t have lots and lots of people running in from the northern border into New York.”
The challenge they face only in Upstate New York is a border in the middle of Lake Ontario. Joe Savill, with Air and Marine Operations said it is a very vast and difficult area to cover.
With increasingly tighter budgets and threats of terrorism, they said they have to optimize their resource and work collaboratively. “We have a limited footprint,” said Menz. “We communicate with all of the sheriff’s departments, the state police, coast guard and more,” he continued.
The air and marine division recently worked on a robbery involving a rifle-wielding man, who entered an eastern Niagara hospital saying he had bombs.
Their job was to provide air surveillance and get ground crews know what was happening. “We had two birds flying for that one. We have people who are trained with a rifle to shoot through a helicopter.”
Customs and Border Protection also helps facilitate legal trade in our area, which helps keep local businesses afloat.
In addition, the Maritime Protection Project is expected to be completed in 2017 . It will allow agents to keep track of Lake Ontario from above using radar technology.
