In Personal Meeting With Kerlikowske, Nominee for Customs & Border Protection Commissioner, Schumer Urges CBP to Maintain Same Level of Surveillance Over NY's Northern Border - Budget Constraints Can't Diminish Protection of Local Communities, Surveillance of Illegal Border Activity
Press Release
Today, in a personal meeting with the nominee for commissioner of the Custom's and Border Protection (CBP) Richard "Gil' Kerlikowske, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer pressed him to maintain the current level of security along Upstate New York's northern border despite an overall climate of budget cutbacks. Schumer specifically urged the potential new head of the CBP to maintain the total number of flight hours along the northern border, in order to ensure there is no significant drop-off in security measures. Currently, Customs and Border Protection operates two air and marine bases in Upstate New York, in Buffalo and Plattsburgh. Schumer made a strong case to Kerlikowske, who served as Buffalo Police Commissioner and understands and appreciates the need for state-of-the-art border security.
"The federal government's budget constraints are real and must be addressed, but critical northern border protections from Plattsburgh to Buffalo must not be sacrificed. I am urging nominee Mr. Kerlikowske to ensure that surveillance of the northern border does not suffer, and that flight hours are maintained across the state, so that we can protect our border communities and continue to fight back against illegal border activities in those regions."
Schumer is currently focused on two air and marine bases: Plattsburgh and Buffalo. Last year, the Plattsburgh base found 18 border crossers and over 1,500 lbs. of marijuana. But according to CBP, the industry-wide price of airplane maintenance increases by 5.4% per year, and the CBP is in search of savings. Schumer expressed today in his meeting with the potential new head of CBP that the coverage of the northern border cannot suffer. Schumer specifically said that "flight hours" for pilots that search for border crossers or drug smugglers must be maintained.
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