Canadian Border Guards Flee Posts After 'Dangerous' Traveler Warning

I find this story kind of hard to swallow but apparently it is true. CTV, AP and Fox are all reporting that 60 Canadian Border Guards deserted their posts when they learned that a man from the US, who is considered to be armed and dangerous might be heading to Canada.



Am I missing something here? Most Canadian Customs are right next to US Customs who are armed, so why the need to flee their posts?

Seems to me all it would take if the above is not the case would be to call in two Mounties for each post as armed guards to protect the customs agents or don't they carry guns either?

Heaven help us should a terrorist try and cross their border they will all run and hide, which is a good reason for a fence along our nothern borders

[edit on 9/25/2006 by shots]

That defies all logic...

So when they are actually needed, is when they are allowed to leave?

well, that border issue is one that i hadn't heard of before...

I am a Canadian and I was ashamed of this story when I first heard it. But in Canada, border guards do not carry weapons nor do they do arrests as in the US. They must call in the RCMP etc. The union that these government employees work for also has some disputes with government at the time too.

Apparently, border guards will be armed in future and be able to arrest people as needed and trained to do so.

The story was about people that fled the US and were in pursuit of police in the US but came to the border and the Canadian guards did not feel secure enough to deal with the situation.

Originally posted by denythestatusquo
The story was about people that fled the US and were in pursuit of police in the US but came to the border and the Canadian guards did not feel secure enough to deal with the situation.

Didn't you mean to say were being pursued by US Police? If not that is a new one on me.

criminals in pursuit of police just makes me

Originally posted by LazarusTheLong
That defies all logic...

I disagree. It effectively closed the border and made the US man the US authorities problem and not the Canadians. It stifled up the northbound traffic flow enough so that if they tried to cross, they would have to stop their car and get out on foot. Certainly, they would have been easily caught then - all on the US side and it wouldn't have wasted any resources by the Canadians.

Makes sence to me...

A bunch of underpaid checkpoint jockies said "Your problem, you deal with it.".

The artical doesn't say if RCMP were summoned to replace the guards and details on what was contained in the Homeland security message are rather fuzzy.

gotta love them fellow canadians, LOL!

"run away! run away!", live to run another day.

once they get guns, they won't run away anymore.

too bad.

It totally baffles me.
Why the hell don't our border guards have guns...

I agree with the idea of keeping an American problem on the American side of the border, but hell ,
Our border guards have a duty to perform, to turn tail and run is just embarrassing, but I can see their point. These people have a strong union that takes worker safety very seriously, so I have to support their decision.

One of the stories linked above said a ten year program to arm the guards.
They need to start rotating employees to fire arms training right now, and then start passing out guns in the next few months.
(some guards likely have an F.A.C. already, and only need some training)

It's sad that our first line of defence is a cheery smile and "Do you have anything to declare ?"
They should at least have the option to defend themselves...........

This sounds like a job action to me. The union throwing a wrench into the works. Why? Because it makes no sense. He would have to get past the US authorities first, not going to happen. I have a neighbor that works for Customs, I'll ask him what it's all about.

BTW, what has this to do with WoT?

If they're unarmed, why would they stay? I sure as hell am not going to stand at my post waiting for an armed individual without a gun.

Another domestic issue in WoT

What is it about the title of this section that confuses people?

I did a little research on this issue and it would appear this goes much farther then just the actual US border it also covers the whole coast line of Canada which has some concerned.

Source

"If a colleague from the US Navy said to me: 'Our Coast Guard watches over the first 200 miles and then the Navy takes over. How does it work in Canada?',
I would have to say: 'I can tell you about the outside 200 miles, but you don't want to hear about the inside 200 miles.'"

– Rear Admiral (Ret'd) Bruce Johnston, former Commander,
Maritime Forces (Pacific) testifying before the Committee.

Then you have threats like This

It is obvious that even Canda might be a Target isn't it.

Now I ask our friendly Canadian neighbors, how can you allow your government to act in such a callous manner?

[edit on 9/25/2006 by shots]

Why the hell arent your border guards armed?

Maybe we should invade canada not even the border guards are ARMED! ....


Seriously, is this a result of strict gun control laws or what?


ok one more laugh! ....!

Originally posted by XphilesPhan
Why the hell arent your border guards armed?

I am sure they have their reasons and I do not fault them. What makes me wonder is what do they do during a normal week day when at least one or two cross the border with hidden arms on them? That is one of the first qustions they ask do you have fire arms and they do not run/flee then do they? Just what is wrong with this picture????

Help me out here,

So these canadians, rightfully so have left there post being they are unable to defend themselves against this man coming from the US into Canada.

I picture now a gap.. in this security wall along the border.

Does this mean people can easily come INTO the USA? as well come FROM the USA?

60 guards.. that would leave a bit ofa gap there wouldnt it ?
If they have the ability to inform the canadians this man is coming.. why dont they place US Federal Marshals on the broder instead?

To me its fishy that they have allowed a free entry into the US, by scaring the border guards to leave.

Why has the USA allowed a temporary lapse on its secuirty... ?
Who are they trying to get in.. without being noticed.

Don't make sence to me, just one man, what the hell is he my equal or something, to scare away many people because he is "dangerous". Just a lone armed guy scared all them off, I doubt it.

Maybe he is contagious and is armed with a biological?

There is way more to this than is being released, and I doubt even the news groups know what.

If I were to speculate as to why the customs guys walked off the job, I would guess that it was to pressure our government into moving faster to give them all guns.

I have no idea why they still aren't armed. I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure it shouldn't take 10 years to train and arm all of our customs workers.

Not ten years, heck no! It would take me less than two weeks, to make all of them marksmen at the least. If the plan is to do so in ten years, then it is kangaroo politics, hmmm all the more reason to get the ball rolling for me Canukian friends.

Originally posted by ben91069

Originally posted by LazarusTheLong
That defies all logic...

I disagree. It effectively closed the border and made the US man the US authorities problem and not the Canadians. It stifled up the northbound traffic flow enough so that if they tried to cross, they would have to stop their car and get out on foot. Certainly, they would have been easily caught then - all on the US side and it wouldn't have wasted any resources by the Canadians.

You do realize how large the border is right? By land, sea, air, and sometimes subterrainian, the number of routes into your country most likely number in the tens of thousands. How in the hell can you secure such a vast amount of territory? How can we? We have the longest undefended border because defending it would be so costly that the benefits of having an truely open border would be glaringly obvious... cue North American Union conspiracy theories now...

I graduated from college a little while ago, so let me tell you what my teachers told me.

Don't work for Customs. Just...don't. There's always a ton of openings, and they're making a whack of new ones for roving guards armed with -get this- mace and batons.

Yuh-huh.

Threatening, especially to those drug and gun smugglers, right? Because gun smuggling is BIG bussiness up here. Teachers all agreed that working as a security guard was way safer (and it's really not all that safe to begin with, in my opinion).

Right now, the only things that Canada Customs guards have are uniforms, and maybe vests. Some buy cuffs and batons. I've heard such horrible things that it would make even a Sea King pilot cringe.

Now, if I'm being paid twelve bucks an hour...or fifteen, even, which is what I think they get paid... and there's the possibility that there's a guy with a gun out there and all I have is the shirt on my back, I'm getting out of Dodge. Now, you give me a fighting chance, that changes.

I frequently hear stories about gun-owning Canadians heading down to the states, and coming back, and border guards just waving them through. Case in point, one my associates went down to participate in an NRA Law Enforcement Instructor's Course. His car was loaded with weapons. He came back about a week later, around midnight at the Windsor Underpass. He drives up to the booth, the guy looks at him, asks if he has any weapons in the car. My associate answers 'Yes', holds out the paperwork. Guard looks at him, wide eyed, and waves him through. Doesn't even look at it. Not so much as a phone call to the police.These guys are scared stiff and not paid enough. No wonder they cut and run so quick.

DE