Page 2 - Customs Today Winter1984-OCR

Comment

In this issue of Customs Today, there are several
articles about our participation in the Explorer pro
gram. We are also introducing what I hope will
become a regular feature of the magazine, the
Commissioner's Round Table. Through this vehicle
I hope to open lines of communication between my
self and Customs employees in the field. This issue's
round table discussion is with a group of inspectors
and mainly concerns the Red/Green system. In
future issues, I will talk with representative groups
Those of us who attended the Law Enforcement
Explorer Conference in Ft. Collins, Colo., last from the other Customs professions about the pro
summer were inspired by the thousands of young grams they carry out in their daily work.
As we enter the new year, we are in position to
people who have chosen to get involved in law do our jobs more effectively than ever. The Exodus
enforcement. It wasn't long ago that the youth of
program, which is now over two years old, is well
America were taking to the streets against the police, established, and we are developing stronger and
protesting things they believed were wrong with the better cases every day. We are experiencing the
country. But because a few good law enforcement same kind of success with all our programs. El
people chose to get involved, over 40,000 young Dorado and Greenback have enjoyed new successes
people are now taking to the streets with the police this year and will continue to do so. Our new effort
to learn how they can take part in law enforcement on commercial fraud, Operation Tripwire, is also well
themselves. established and going strong. Our commercial
I think Law Enforcement Exploring, which is
under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America, is systems are developing right on schedule and are
pointing the way toward a new day between the
a truly worthwhile program, and I have pledged the world of commerce and the Customs Service.
Customs Service to full participation. It is a program
that deserves all the support we can provide. That
is why I was so pleased to accept when Bud Mullen,
head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, asked
w.
me to be chairman of the 1984 Law Enforcement ii6Lz.jfeL
Explorer Conference. I was also honored just re
cently with an invitation to sit on the Executive
Committee of Law Enforcement Exploring. U.S. Commissioner of Customs
I have struck a theme for our participation in the
Explorer Scout program, it is "get involved and stay
involved." Getting involved has resulted in our estab
lishing our first Customs-sponsored Explorer Scout
post in Laredo, Tex. And we now have plans for start
ing several others around the country. Law Enforce
ment Exploring is the fastest growing youth program
in the entire world today.
Through this involvement with Explorer Scouts
we have an opportunity to mold the law enforcement
officers of the future. It is a task as important as any
we are in today. And it is one in which I am happy to
participate, as I know are all other Customs officers.