Canada Customs gets its guns

NEWS RELEASE

CUSTOMS EXCISE UNION DOUANES ACCISE (CEUDA)

********************** CEUDA applauds the government for arming border service officers and doubling-up one-person shifts

TORONTO – Yesterday's budget announcement comes as great news to the Customs Excise Union Douanes Accise (CEUDA) which represents 9,000 members working in the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) which includes front-line, immigration removals, intelligence and investigations officers.

CEUDA has lobbied for more than 22 years to have its members provided with side-arms, and for more than 26½ years to have its members working alone accompanied by at least a second officer on all shifts.

Ron Moran, National President of CEUDA, said: "On behalf of the thousands of men and women who work in CBSA, whom we represent, and who risk their lives every day to protect Canadians, CEUDA proudly thanks the government for having had the wisdom to recognize the gravity of problems facing our members, for willingly making a commitment to address these problems, and for having nothing less than sheer guts to do what no other government before it ever would."

Moran adds: "It also gives me great pleasure to thank and congratulate CEUDA members and activists who have fought for these changes in solidarity and with a tireless vigilance over more than two decades. This is a great day for CEUDA, for its members and activists, and for Canadians." Over the course of the past two decades and more so during the past five years, the border has become a highly dangerous place to work.

Hundreds of critical incidents have taken place, with more frequency as months passed, and CEUDA members have been unwittingly forced into situations that threatened them with dangers of grievous bodily harm and even death. Moran adds: "Without the protections of a side-arm for our members, Canadian border policy has been to release armed and dangerous person into our neighbourhoods." Yesterday's budget will put an end to these ludicrous practices and unsafe working conditions for our members, and will ensure greater safety in our communities. Among other things, it will establish an effective law enforcement mandate within the CBSA that is sure to lead to safer Canadian streets with fewer guns, drugs, and people who shouldn't be there.

"Moreover," Moran continues, "CBSA has 139 work sites where our members have been working alone, many of these in isolated locations far removed from urban centres and hours away from any form of a police presence.

Today's budget will begin the process that will put an end to single-person ports, ensuring border security is fully enforced at these locations and ensuring our members have backup when carrying out enforcement actions.

This too will bring greater safety to our neighbourhoods.

CEUDA represents Canada's uniformed officers working on front lines, as well as Immigration Removals, Investigation, Intelligence, and Trade Customs Officers – all of whom work in CBSA.

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