American Border Patrol -- 3/14/08

With the motto "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty," American Border Patrol has launched "Operation Virtual Vigilance," a new border camera system that allows Americans to stand vigil on its borders. "After more than three years of work, ABP has perfected an Internet camera system that allows Americans to play an active role in protecting their nation," said Glenn Spencer of ABP. Virtual volunteers can sign up to watch a camera from their homes, Spencer said. ABP has five cameras that cover nine miles of the border (Press report.)

Once a volunteer has been cleared, they log on to the Camera Web page and scan the border for suspicious activity. If they see something they think looks like smuggling of some sort, they notify American Border Patrol headquarters where a specialist confirms the sighting and notifies the Border Patrol.

Users can control pan, tilt, zoom, and other camera functions directly over the Internet. Both thermal night cameras and color day cameras are available online. The thermal camera can spot an individual at five miles.

At present all of the cameras are on ABP's ranch on the Mexican border in Southeastern Arizona. Some of the cameras are powered by solar panels and can be located anywhere along the border that can be reached by broadband Internet. With newly available technology, more and more of the border can be covered.

ABP has used the cameras to spot and report illegal border traffic to the Border Patrol, but found that watching the cameras was taking up great deal of the time of its small number of employees. "The cameras work, but we didn't have the time to work them," Spencer said. With the new system Spencer said hundreds of people can help out.

To maximize vigilance, ABP plans to limit the viewing time of each volunteer to thirty minutes, after which another "Virtual Volunteer" takes over.

ABP pioneered the use of Internet border cams in September of 2005. A few months later, Texas Governor Perry tested a similar concept and more than 220,000 people signed up to participate as camera operators.

"American Border Patrol proved that the idea of an Internet border camera system can work, and Texas proved that Americans want to help protect their nation," Spencer said.

ABP's new system has much more powerful cameras and Internet systems, including the Motorola Canopy system.

ABP is now signing up "Virtual Volunteers" online. "We cannot have smugglers operating these cameras, so we have to be careful," Spencer said.

Until volunteers have been screened and trained, the camera system will be available for pre-arranged demonstrations only.

"There is no questions that the success of Virtual Vigilance will depend on continuing financial support from individual Americans," Spencer added. ABP is a non-profit 501 c (3) corporations in good standing. Donations can be made online or directly by mail.