Legal Commentary

Report: The U.S. Border is Getting Safer

By Jeralyn

Despite all the fear-mongering Republicans wanting to throw more money at the southwest border, statistics show it's not needed.

The AP examines the statistics and concludes the border area may be one of the safest places in America.

The top four big cities in America with the lowest rates of violent crime are all in border states: San Diego, Phoenix, El Paso and Austin, according to a new FBI report. And an in-house Customs and Border Protection report shows that Border Patrol agents face far less danger than street cops in most U.S. cities.

[More....]

The Customs and Border Protection study, obtained with a Freedom of Information Act request, shows 3 percent of Border Patrol agents and officers were assaulted last year, mostly when assailants threw rocks at them. That compares with 11 percent of police officers and sheriff's deputies assaulted during the same period, usually with guns or knives.

In addition, violent attacks against agents declined in 2009 along most of the border for the first time in seven years. So far this year assaults are slightly up, but data is incomplete.

"The border is safer now than it's ever been," said U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Lloyd Easterling.

It's time to leave the border alone, and start real immigration reform. That's what Obama promised, and we should hold him to it.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on June 05, 2010 (boomark / email).