US border surveillance towers face significant operational failures  vast
areas unwatched, national security potentially at risk

Date:
Sat, 14 Dec 2024 21:22:00 +0000

Description:
Nearly one-third of surveillance cameras along the U.S.-Mexico border are
nonfunctional, hindering Border Patrol operations.

FULL STORY
======================================================================

Recent reports have revealed that high-cost southern border surveillance
technology is failing to deliver on its purpose. 

A leaked memo obtained by NBC News reveals that nearly one-third of the
cameras on the borders primary surveillance towers are currently offline. 

The report reveals that out of the 500 cameras installed on surveillance
towers along the border between the U.S. and Mexico, about 150 are currently
inactive. Overlapping agencies and fragmented responsibilities 

One of the core problems with the surveillance towers lies in the complicated
web of federal oversight. While the Border Patrol depends on these systems to
monitor remote areas, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is 
responsible for maintaining the towers. This division of responsibility
creates delays in repairs and maintenance, undermining the networks
effectiveness. 

The Remote Video Surveillance System, where many of these cameras are
installed, is only one part of the broader surveillance network. However, the
entire system has been hampered by poor coordination, frequent project
cancellations, and incompatible technologies developed by different vendors. 

The history of surveillance technology at the border is marked by delays,
budget overruns, and cancelled programs. One prominent example is the Secure
Border Initiative Network (SBInet), which aimed to deploy towers across the
U.S.-Mexico border. By 2010, after spending $1 billion, only 15 towers had
been installed along a 53-mile stretch of Arizonas border, covering just a
fraction of the 387-mile expanse. The program was eventually scrapped in 2011
following internal reviews that criticized its performance and high costs. 

There have been attempts to replace SBInet with new initiatives, such as the
Arizona Border Surveillance Technology Plan and the Southwest Border
Technology Plan. However, they are also struggling. 

Over the past two decades, the U.S. government has spent nearly $6 billion on
surveillance towers and made efforts to consolidate the various systems into
the Integrated Surveillance Towers network. However, there are challenges due
to incompatible components and outdated technology. 

A recurring issue with the surveillance towers is the absence of meaningful
performance metrics to evaluate their effectiveness. In a 2017 report , the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) criticized the Border Patrol for
failing to assess whether these technologies were improving security. The GAO
urged the agency to develop performance metrics, but recent assessments
suggest that little progress has been made. 

In February 2023, the GAO noted that Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
officials expect operational shortfalls of up to 36% by 2025, putting more
towers at risk of becoming non-functional. Without clear benchmarks for
success, it remains difficult to determine how much these expensive
surveillance systems contribute to national security efforts. 

The outages have frustrated Border Patrol agents, who rely on the cameras to
monitor vast, remote regions. There are legitimate concerns about officer
safety and border security due to non-operational towers.

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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/US-border-surveillance-towers-face-significant-o
perational-failures

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