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Abstract
Smuggling Operations Revealed Using GIS
Track: Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice
Author(s): Daniel T. Isenberg
The Border Patrol is the mobile uniformed enforcement arm of the Immigration & Naturalization Service. Their mission is the detection and prevention of the illegal entry and smuggling of aliens into the United States. Border Patrol agents perform their duties along and in the vicinity of 8,000 miles of international boundaries by automobile, boat, aircraft, horseback, snowmobile, jet ski and afoot.
Most of the areas patrolled by the Border Patrol are remote with varying types of terrain along with subterrain such as storm drains and tunnels. These areas are normally accessed using unnamed and unmaintained roads or trails. The Border Patrol does not have the luxury of tracking events using the conventional geocode methods with street maps, as do other law enforcement agencies.
With the revolution in GIS and desktop computing, this has changed. The Border Patrol now utilizes ArcView GIS and the global positioning system to map out operational areas, track events, and analyze smuggling patterns. They have combined GIS with other technological advancements, such as biometric identification and remote sensing to conduct unprecedented analysis on smuggling activities. These advances have also opened the door for multiagency cooperation between the Border Patrol and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Daniel T. Isenberg
United States Border Patrol
2411 Boswell Road
Chula Vista, CA 91914
USA
Phone: 619-216-4198
Fax: 619-216-4167
E-mail: Daniel.T.Isenberg@USDOJ.gov