Page 17 - Customs Today Winter1984-OCR

responsibility for protecting our borders years there will be other priorities. I think plorer program for the Los Angeles
against smugglers and protecting the we can always use some additional people Police Department. We had the largest
revenue. on the enforcement side and the Com law enforcement Explorer post in the
missioner has been very, very active in country. We had Explorers that rode in
The "turf syndrome"—don't you run ensuring that we get additional enforce radio cars, performed crowd control
into that problem because you wind ment staffing. Additionally, the entire operations, helped search crime scenes
up submerging your identity when Service is in an enforcement mode, that's and did administrative work in police sta
you get involved in task forces? the name of the game. And I might add tions. Last year the LAPD Explorers
I think I've already answered that, that in the Pacific Region, the tradi contributed 250,000 manhours to LAPD
but let me ask a question: Is it more im tionally non-enforcement employees are doing non-critical work which otherwise
portant to have an identity or to get the doing an outstanding job in adapting to would have had to have been done by
job done? Of course we'll take credit their new enforcement roles. police officers. That's more than 100
wherever credit is due. To place concern How do you characterize your man man-years. I could do a lot of work with
about the identity of the organization be 100 man-years in the Pacific Region! It's
fore concern for the interdiction of narcot agement style? another example of the leverage princi
ics is ludicrous. Of course we're all proud Mission-oriented, people-oriented ple. In the Customs Service we can use
and objective-oriented. I place a high de
to be Customs officers and I expect noth Explorers at land border crossings to
gree of trust in my subordinates. I do not
ing less than pride from my personnel in assist the inspectors at the primary and
the Pacific Region, but we're also striving intend to do the SAC's or the District secondary stations. Explorers can assist
for professionalism and I expect nothing Directors' work from the Region, but I shift supervisors with administrative
less than a professional attitude toward do hold my District Directors and SAC's work. They can help do cargo inspec
other law enforcement agencies. Parochial accountable for getting the job done in tions. We can use Explorers to assist at
ism is incompatible with professionalism. accordance with the Region's policy and airports to facilitate passenger process
direction. I give them all the support that
Are you satisfied with the quality of I possibly can to get the job done. That ing. We are going to have an Explorer
enforcement in this Region? includes management support and re program for the Pacific Region and each
district director will be responsible for
I believe there is always room for sources. I believe in pushing decision
creating an Explorer post.
improvement. However, I can see that in making authority as far down as possible
some respects, with the limited resources within the organization and then holding
we have, we cannot do everything with my managers accountable for exercising Do you see in the immediate future
the same degree of thoroughness. We are that authority in a productive, profes increased automation for Customs
going to have to adopt, as we already sional manner. I try to enhance com officers?
have, a policy of selective enforcement. munications upwards and downwards Yes, there is a major automa
By selectively identifying the targets on and horizontally. It is really tough to tion initiative presently underway. I
which we want to focus our resources we break through two layers of hierarchy in don't anticipate a decrease in work load;
can do our job effectively and efficiently. any organization to communicate, but I on the contrary, there's going to be a
I have designated the improvement intend to do so. steadily increasing workload in the
of our intelligence capability in the The Olympics will be coming to Los Pacific Region. The improvement in the
Pacific Region as a top priority. I have economy means more commerce; more
also designated the revitalization of the Angeles in 1984. Do you anticipate commerce means more work, more con
Patrol force as a trop priority. I perceive any major problems? tainers, more things to look at, more
the Pacific Region Patrol force as being a No, I don't anticipate any major ships, more cargo planes. We will not be
problems. I think the entire Olympic
dynamic, highly flexible, multi-faceted getting a commensurate increase in per
tactical force. planning process, which includes all sonnel to do that work. We just cannot
levels of government, must hope for the
There seems to be a definite move best and plan for the worst. The planning keep increasing the Customs Service per
ment toward expanding our intelli function has been going on for close to sonnel by 10% each time we get a 10%
increase in workload. The alternative
gence capabilities. Aren't we re four years now and I think we've got a then is to handle that kind of workload
cruiting for intelligence analysts pretty good handle on it.
right now? Although we don't have any hard increase, which is primarily an inspection
We have created a Regional Intelli figures yet, I think the numbers of people function, by the utilization of automated
systems. ACCEPT, which is part of the
gence Unit. We've made some personnel that will be coming directly into Los Automated Commercial System, will be
selections. We have the office space, we Angeles from other countries will not be
have some equipment. We approved and as large as initially anticipated by our going on line with a number of subsys
contracted for an intelligence trainin; planners. I believe the international en tems which will enhance our ability to do
more with less. Automation is one of the
program for the Regional Intelligence of tries will be divided among New York, four priorities established by the Com
ficers and the people who will be assigned Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle and
to the Operational Analysis Units. Houston. So everybody is going to share missioner. We simply do not have
in the increased workload. enough people to do all the work and we
Do you think that Customs is over cannot keep doing things the way we
burdened with the various enforce You're going to be establishing have done them in the past.
ment priorities we have? some Explorer Scout Posts in the The world is moving into an era of
No, I don't think it is. We have Region. Do you have any plans for high technology and information process
priorities and these priorities will change mulated yet as to how you are go ing. The Customs Service must keep
from time to time. Who heard of Opera ing to use the Explorers? pace with our changing society, and that
tion EXODUS ten years ago? It didn't Yes. For more than two years I was calls for us to move into the era of auto
exist, and I am sure that in the next ten responsible for administering the Ex mation now.

CUSTOMS TODAY / WINTER 1984 15