13 June 2000
Source:
http://usinfo.state.gov/cgi-bin/washfile/display.pl?p=/products/washfile/latest&f=00060903.llt&t=/products/washfile/newsitem.shtml
US Department of State
International Information Programs
Washington File
_________________________________
09 June 2000
(Reno, MacAulay preside over Cross-Border Crime Forum) (440)
By Elizabeth Beerman
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- The United States and Canada have signed an agreement to
develop and share police technology, and announced the creation of an
integrated border enforcement team along the two countries' East
Coast.
"Combining our enforcement efforts is practical and gives us a clear
advantage over those who think they can use our border to escape
prosecution," U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno said during the Fourth
Canada-U.S. Cross-Border Crime Forum, where she met June 9 with
Canadian Solicitor General Lawrence MacAulay.
The crime forum reflects "a long history of close cooperation between
[our] two countries," MacAulay said. The Canada-U.S. Cross-Border
Crime Forum has met annually since its initial session in September
1997, when IBET was first established.
The new East Coast team will be structured along the lines of the
highly successful Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET) that works
in the region of British Columbia and the northwestern U.S. state of
Washington. "These joint efforts are truly a model for the future of
cross-border law enforcement cooperation," MacAulay said.
The Forum consists of more than 60 officials from Canada and the
United States. In addition to Reno and MacAulay, Crime Forum
participants included officials from immigration and citizenship
agencies, secret service agencies, and other law enforcement
organizations from both counties. Topics of discussion included
smuggling, organized crime, telemarketing fraud, money laundering,
missing and abducted children, and the increasing problems related to
new computer technologies and Internet fraud.
MacAulay pointed out that the more than $1,700 million of two-way
commercial traffic crossing the U.S.-Canada border every day
"demonstrates how crucial it is to our economies that we protect and
encourage the ability of our citizens to move across the border and
exchange goods and information," adding: "These figures,
unfortunately, also demonstrate the opportunities for criminals to
profit from the hard work of others."
The Memorandum of Understanding signed by Reno and MacAulay provides
for the United States and Canada to share and develop police
technology -- such as videotape enhancement, explosives detection,
security systems, fingerprint detection and police protective
equipment.
"We should be an international model for joint cooperation," Reno
said. For his part, MacAulay described the Cross-Border Crime Forum as
"one of many initiatives where we can proudly say that cooperation has
brought about a real change in the way we work."
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)