WASHINGTON: United States Border Patrol (USBP) Sectors across the Southwest border are hosting Border Safety Initiative (BSI) events to educate the public about the dangers associated with crossing the border between established ports of entry.
“The BSI is a critical campaign that we stress every year. In Fiscal Year 2016 USBP rescued nearly 4000 individuals. Crossing the border illegally puts both migrants and agents lives at risk, and we want to do as much as possible to mitigate and reduce those risks,” said Chief Ronald D. Vitiello. The BSI is a bi-national strategy designed to reduce migrant deaths and make the border region safer for agents, local residents, and communities. The BSI was implemented in 1998, building on the longstanding public safety and humanitarian efforts practiced by the USBP. This program aims to minimize the life threatening injuries and deaths associated with illegal border crossings and human smuggling. The BSI also focusses on the extraordinary efforts taken by Border Patrol agents to rescue those in distress as well as new programs, such as the Missing Migrant Initiative.
