Canada’s first armed border officers complete training

NEWS RELEASE

CANADA BORDER SERVICES AGENCY

************************* Minister Day attends graduation of Canada’s first armed border services officers

CHILLIWACK, BC - July 27, 2007 - The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety, today congratulated the first 39 Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers in Canada to graduate from the CBSA’s firearms training program.

The graduates, who attended training in both Ottawa and Chilliwack, will be deployed to ports of entry throughout the country.

As part of a plan to enhance safety and strengthen security at Canada’s border, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced funding in August 2006 for firearms training for CBSA officers at land and marine ports of entry, as well as for officers who perform enforcement functions within Canada.

This includes the 400 new permanent CBSA officers who will be hired, trained and equipped in order to eliminate work-alone situations.

"Canada’s new government is taking action to strengthen our border security, and that starts with giving our CBSA officers the tools and resources they need to protect our border and keep our communities safe," said Minister Day [shown]. “Now that the firearms training program is underway, we expect to have more than 100 officers deployed throughout the country by the end of August.”

"This is a long-awaited day. Through its arming and doubling-up of single-person shift initiatives, this government has done more to enhance officer and public safety than many previous governments combined, and for this we applaud it," said Ron Moran, President of Customs Excise Union Douanes Accise (CEUDA).

The firearms training program provides training to CBSA officers on determining various levels of threats and risks, and responding to situations through simulation exercises.

The next classes are scheduled to begin on August 13, 2007, at RCMP facilities in Ottawa and Chilliwack.

Canada's new government is committed to ensuring that the border is protected from those who threaten the security of Canada, while ensuring that legitimate commerce or travel is not delayed.

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