Border Patrol: 'What can we do to help?'

The recently appointed head of a division of U. S. Customs and Border Protection asked local leaders in Havre Tuesday what the agency can do better to help and be part of the community.

Eric Odden, acting director of the office of State, Local and Tribal Liaison of U. S. Customs and Border Protection, met with a cross section of local officials and community leaders to talk about how agents and officers from the agency can be a productive part of the community, and how they can interact with local governments and law enforcement agencies.

Odden, a former Shelby resident and deputy Toole County sheriff, said that much of the success of the agency in recent years has come from its partnerships with local governments and organizations.

"The only reason we have those successes is because of these relationships, " Odden said.

That goes both ways, he said — the Toole County Sheriff's Office often relied on the Border Patrol for assistance, as well.

The officials at the meeting included Havre Mayor Tim Solomon, Hill County Commissioner Jeff LaVoi, Montana State University-Northern Interim Chancellor Joe Callahan, Havre Public Schools Superintendent Andy Carlson, Havre Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Debbie Vandeberg and Bear Paw Development Corp. Executive Director Paul Tuss, as well as representatives of Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester.

Odden, who was recently appointed to his position, said the Havre stop is part of a tour of the agency's sectors across the country to meet the local Border Patrol agents and Customs officers and to meet with local leaders.

And, he said, "this gets me back to my old stomping grounds. And the weather is wonderful. "

Vandeberg, Tuss and Solomon applauded the agency for increased cooperation on the local level in the last few years, and for participation in the local communities.

"I love the Border Patrol families in the community, " Vandeberg said, adding that the families are an active part of the community, and if help is needed, people are comfortable calling the local CBP officials to ask for it.

Solomon echoed that, saying the CBP workforce members are active in the community.

"I know it's a group we could go to if we needed help, " he added.

Tuss asked what the local governments and organizations can do better to work with CBP.

"There's got to be a few issues, " he said. "What, from our perspective, can we do better? "

Border Patrol Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Chris Richards said making contacts at events like Tuesday's meeting are the way to address any issues.

"The people who can address it are here in the room, " he said.

One issue Richards raised was the chance to partner with the local university to provide education for officers and agents.

Increasing education is becoming a bigger and bigger focus of CBP, and he wants to start encouraging his agents to work toward degrees, he said.

Callahan said he very much would like Northern to be a part of that — it is something the university did with U. S. Air Force personnel while the Glasgow air base still was open, he said.

He said one componenent could be a criminal justice degree the state Board of Regents recently approved for Northern, and added that the university could work with CBP to custom-design a program that could be unique in the country.

"It's an exciting potential for us, " Callahan said.

Vandeberg and the CBP officials agreed that one way the agency could increase its presence in the community is with a larger group participating in the annual Festival Days Parade. Richards asked that the agency receive information as soon as possible to see what it could do for this year's event.

Odden said that could help with one of the agency's goals: making it clear to the people of the nation that CBP is more than just the Border Patrol, or just Customs, or just its Office of Air and Marine or other groups — they all work together and need to present one face in their operations.

Several people raised the goal of expanding the Port of Wild Horse north of Havre to a 24-hour commercial port.

Ross Lyle, assistant director of the Great Falls port, said the test of extended summer hours at the port is under way. He added that the new port being erected at Wild Horse is expected to be ready for a grand opening, probably in mid- to late-September.

"We expect that to be a nice event, " he said.