Oscar
Charleston, SC
Male, 31
Spent a bit over four years (2006-2010) serving as a Border Patrol Agent in Tucson Sector, AZ: the busiest sector in the country. Worked numerous positions, and spent the last year and a half operating/instructing ground radar installations. Duties included: field patrols, transport, processing, control room duties, transportation check, checkpoint operations, static watch duties, etc.
Again, I can't help you - but only because our checkpoints were all temporary. We did not have any large scale traffic checkpoints (like in Las Cruces) in our area. If they look like radar equipment they could be ground radar systems based around the checkpoints which scan for areas out to each side - detecting people or traffic which is trying to cut around the checkpoint.
Some checkpoints have tractor trailer scanning equipment, which essentially X-Rays the contents of large trailer boxes. I'm not sure. No real experience at a "proper" checkpoint. Talk about a job I'd never want though...I'm really glad we only had a small temporary checkpoint, sometimes.
There are some guys who spend most of their career standing at a traffic checkpoint. Nooooo thanks.
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You can be prosecuted for human smuggling...and thus potentially spend a long time in jail.
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Not if you've been deported. If you have a voluntary return, perhaps. I haven't seen it done, but I never worked with the immigration lawyers.
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Well, becoming a K9 handler is pretty tough. If you start out in a normal station, you can expect to wait 4-6 years minimum to get one. If you're at a smaller station and no one else wants to be a K9 handler you may pick one up sooner. You do have to attend some classes, and a selection process. You do not purchase your own dog - it would be issued if you're selected to become a K9 handler. It's a good, very time consuming gig --- but don't expect it right out of the academy. Being a K9 handler is a rather coveted position so it's more often than not given to senior agents.
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CPR Trainer
Is it possible to perform CPR on animals?
Social Security Employee
How do you check to see whether someone claiming disability is actually disabled?
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What's the difference between a life coach and a therapist?
Well, the BORTAC guys work even more, and are subject to callouts, as they are essentially on-call. Any relationship is doable, but a relationship which is weak to start out with, will not survive a LEO career of any sort. Also, if your loved one is in that line of work you should choose your fights carefully. Sometimes a LEO will encounter a bunch of serious messed up stuff (dead children, bodies, abuse, etc.) on duty and then come home only for his/her spouse to get angry over something stupid --- this will ignite a fight, etc. So, yes it's pretty darn tough. But, not impossible by any stretch of the imagination.
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There was not much to do on duty to keep your morale high. Off-duty, always just get as far away from work as possible. I moved 40 miles from my station so that on my days off I wasn't seeing anything work-related (short of illegal immigrants all over Phoenix, AZ). The key is to remember it's nothing more than a job. Do your job, come home and carry on with the rest of your life.
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SB1070 passed shortly after I left the BP. The USBP is 100% busy all of the time in Tucson Sector, so if anything it would have put more strain on us, due to a possible increase in local law enforcement apprehending illegals. The actual passage did not affect the way we do business, as our authority is almost entirely immigration based.
I'd imagine there was a spike in OA (other agency) calls, and I'd like to hope that ICE in Phoenix got hammered by Sheriff Joe with more apprehensions.
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