Tipping the Scales

Washington State Border Patrol launches text messaging and Web tip service

Border security has been a hot-button issue ever since Arizona passed its controversial immigration law. The new measure orders immigrants to carry proof of their immigration status at all times, and they can be arrested if they can’t present proper documents.

The police are allowed to question and arrest people if there is a “reasonable suspicion” about their immigration status and can charge undocumented citizens with trespassing. The bill also makes it illegal to hire and transport illegal immigrants, even if they are family members. This immigration legislation is the toughest in the country to date.

Separate But Equal
The southern border typically receives more media attention and employs stricter security measures than the northern border. However, the United States and Canada share more than 5,000 miles of border, while the United States and Mexico share 1,900 miles. It is widely understood that the northern border is more difficult to monitor due to its expansive and harsh landscape, which is often exploited by traffickers.

The Canadian border is a prime throughway for people and drugs. Since 1999, more than 100,000 pounds of marijuana have been smuggled into the United States. It also is the main entryway for ecstasy.

Since 2005, ecstasy trafficking is eight times greater at the northern border. According to the 2010 National Drug Threat Assessment, the amount of ecstasy seized at the northern border increased by 594 percent from 2004 to 2009. Cocaine and heroin seizures at the northern border also have risen from less than 1 to 18 kilograms and less than 1 to 28 kilograms, respectively.

See it, Text it
In a less controversial and more evidence-based way of dealing with border crimes, the U.S. Border Patrol’s Spokane, Wash., sector is asking area residents, campers, hikers and hunters to send an anonymous text message from their cell phone or the Web when they notice suspicious activity. The Spokane sector employs 200 patrol agents and covers eastern Washington and Idaho, and western Montana up to the Continental Divide.

This tip-based method relies on actual eyewitness accounts of suspicious behavior—when residents see something suspicious, they send a text or Web tip.

The Spokane Sector Border Patrol and Anderson Software, a provider of law enforcement tip management software and Web applications, have joined together to provide this pilot program.

“The popularity of text messaging has created a significant opportunity for the public to assist the Border Patrol in combating cross-border crime and smuggling,” said Tim York Spokane, sector acting chief patrol agent. “The ability for any citizen who owns a mobile phone to assist in accomplishing our mission of securing America’s borders is of great importance, and we are excited to play a pivotal role in the transmission of these crime fighting tips.”

Secure and Anonymous
Used by more than 600 law enforcement agencies, including the New York Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Chicago Police Department and New Scotland Yard, TipSoft SMS guarantees anonymity by encrypting text messages and routing them through several secure servers, protecting the personal details of the informant. The service assigns an alias and a unique ID number to an informant, which allows law enforcement to respond to the tipster without knowing his or her identity.

The TipSoft website also supports two-way online dialogue. When tips are received by text or e-mail, the application provides an immediate alert to law enforcement.

The system manages multiple tips by filtering them to predefined users. Different tip information can be designated for specific users. Tips also can be tracked in the system, from the initial receipt of the information to an arrest.

The server and processes are certified secure and hackerproof by ScanAlert, the industry-leading server security verification service.

The network, hardware and applications are audited daily to ensure continual compliance with the SANS/FBI security test, along with the Department of Homeland Security’s published recommendations.

The application and transaction servers reside in a state-of-the-art commercial data center employing rigid corporate- and government-level security measures, including full-time and screened onsite security personnel who require biometric access.

Tips can be reported to border patrol by sending a text message to “BORDERTIP” or “CRIMES,” or through the WebTips website at http://www.tipsubmit.com.

About the Author

Sherleen Mahoney is a Web managing editor at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

New Products

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities