NCJ Number
224186
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 35 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2008 Pages: 34,36,41
Date Published
September 2008
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the challenges faced by Project 28, the virtual border project of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the development of a new program to combat Project 28’s shortcomings to secure the 28 mile border of Arizona and Mexico.
Abstract
In the fall of 2007, U.S. Customs and Border Protection unveiled what was deemed to be an advanced capability in border control, nine towers standing 100 feet in the air with antennae and camera lenses to oversee 28 miles of Arizona’s border with Mexico. The effort was called Project 28. The project was developed by Boeing Corp. Project 28 relies on existing technology and a wireless network. Illegal immigrants activate sensors on the ground and the radar system on the tower identifies the location of the immigrant and forwards the information by wireless network to a Border Patrol agent in his vehicle. Project 28 was being carried out along 28 miles of border flanking the Sasabe, AZ, port of entry. However, problems with the system were identified through the Government Accountability Office (GAO), such as radar and ground sensors proved to be too sensitive. After the documentation of system errors in the Project, a new program arose which is similar in its installation but not a replica of the original project. The program entailed the installation of two systems in the Tucson Sector, one in the central Arizona Desert, AJO-1, and one near Sasabe, TUS-1, a cluster of 57 of the same type of towers throughout the desert. Even with the new program, the GAO remains cautious and skeptical about the end results and its effectiveness.