TIGHTER BORDER NOT A GOOD THING

Dear editor:

Re: Tighter border has impact on criminals, media told (Chatham This Week,
April 13).

Just because the media was told that tighter border security is a
"good thing," doesn't make it so. These border guards only catch a
fraction of what goes through. An $11-million cocaine seizure might be
a thrill for the guards and irritate a few drug runners, but it makes
no significant impact on the black market.

Maybe we should hire thousands of guards, and strip search every
single person going either way across the border? Would that be enough?

If a border guard is busy stopping people with pot, then that's an
increased chance of success for someone moving weapons or explosives
or people.

By their own admissions, the guards can only catch a fraction of what
is getting through, so why should we congratulate them?
Congratulations to the border guards for doing your best with what we
give you, and only succeeding 15 per cent of the time!

Russell Barth

Educators For Sensible Drug Policy

Ottawa