A crew from KGVO news partner NBC Montana Missoula recently spent time visiting with border patrol agents and residents at the northern border to learn about border security.

News Anchor Laurel Staples and Associate Producer Cyndy Koures visited the KGVO studios on Tuesday’s Talk Back show to discuss their trip.

Koures said one of the stories will focus on the U.S. Border Patrol and they work they do to protect our border.

“There are roughly 200 employees at the Border Patrol at what’s called the ‘Havre Sector’” said Koures. “Havre Sector is just a chunk of Montana, while ‘Spokane Sector’ oversees another small chunk of it that stretches up into the Glacier park area, so you don’t know how many agents are up there. They do switch out down into the southern border periodically, and they’re constantly in and out so that you don’t know who’s there, and they do that on purpose.”

Koures related another experience as they were reporting in the area.

“We got out of the car, and there were these little markers that say ‘U.S.-Canada’ and as you step just slightly over the border, within minutes the border patrol was driving down the border road, so we know they have seismic meters because farmers have told us they found them in their rock piles when they’re clearing their fields. We also know that they are using drones, but they’re not going to tell us.”

Staples said they had a chance to see the development of new technology to enhance border security without increasing personnel.

“Right here in western Montana there’s a test bed in Polson and they’re developing technology there and it’s fascinating,” said Staples. “We have a story that dives into that and you’ll get to see how it works, there’s a demonstration on it. They’re developing technology there for better perimeter security. We’ll get to show our viewers what that’s all about.”

The Northern Border Series will air every Tuesday and Wednesday night through November during the 10:00 p.m. NBC Montana newscasts.

 

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