Border Patrol Seeks Recruits at Swap Meet

Into the land of bargains, of ceramic giraffes 3 feet high, fold-up wallets and pop-open ashtrays, horsehair seat covers, Indian jewelry and other assorted gewgaws, Lisa Michie and Robert Carrabis came in search of the good deal.

But it wasn’t costume earrings or the monogrammed towels that brought their feet to a stop Saturday afternoon in front of booth A-36 at Kobey’s Swap Meet.

It was the sight of two uniformed recruitment agents working a small stand as part of a new nationwide effort to bolster the ranks of the U.S. Border Patrol.

No Come-ons

Their display showed action photos of Border Patrol agents, such as riding three-wheelers through canyons in pursuit of illegal aliens. On the table were brochures and small registration forms for job applicants.

The recruiters sat unassuming behind the table, not shouting come-ons to the foot-traffic like the salesman across the way quoting low-cost auto insurance. While shoppers stopped routinely to admire the Border Patrol photos, nary a soul slowed to show an interest in the newest in collision or liability rates.

“People are curious about what we do,” Border Patrol Agent Wayne King said. “Our job really provides a lot of adventure. You work outdoors. You meet a lot of people. Every day is different. It’s very rewarding.”

Like spending Memorial Day weekend--albeit outdoors--at the Kobey’s swap-and-shop at the Sports Arena?

“We’re here for the exposure,” he said, scanning the thousands of shoppers wending their way through the aisles of low-ticket merchandise.

“We’ve gone to college career fairs and shopping malls. We have a recruiter today up at the University Towne Centre. We go where the people are.”

Intensive Campaign Across the Country

In response to the federal government’s Immigration Reform and Control Act, the Border Patrol recently began its most intensive nationwide recruitment campaign.

According to Agent Carol Fetty, a Border Patrol career outreach coordinator, the agency is hoping to add 1,400 new agents to its 3,200-member force nationwide by the end of this year. In the San Diego sector, the agency is looking to hire 357 agents.

But why work a recruitment stand at Kobey’s, where the public pays $2 to save a little change, not change jobs?

The answer is obvious, she said. Kobey’s on any given weekend attracts as many 30,000 shoppers.

“When you’re recruiting, you have to be visible and you have to be out among the people,” she said. “And I’d have to say that the Kobey Swap Meet has a very, very good representation of people who live and work and shop in the San Diego area. It’s very representative of the whole San Diego County community at-large.

“So it’s a new thought for us. It’s not something we’ve done in the past, and we’re hoping for the best success.”

About 40 people had signed up for written job examinations by the close of business Saturday afternoon. With the booth to be manned again today and on the holiday Monday, the goal is to close shop with 200 applicants.

To be eligible, a person has to be a U.S. citizen under 35 years of age, pass written and physical examinations and an oral board interview, clear a federal background check, and have a college degree or the equivalent in work experience.

After an 18-week tour of training at the agency’s academy in Georgia, where recruits are taught how to speak Spanish and fire a gun before heading to the front line to beef up this country’s southern border: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

“We need more manpower,” King said. “San Diego is our busiest port of entry. We need to beef it up.”

Two possible enlistees were Michie and Carrabis.

Display Is a Magnet for Office Worker

Carrabis said he works for a communications firm. But it’s an office job, and because he once wore the uniform of a sheriff’s cadet in Reno, Nev., he couldn’t help but stop by the Border Patrol display.

“This may be just the thing for me,” he said, penciling in a date to take the written exam.

Michie stepped out of the crowd along with her boyfriend, a San Diego police officer.

“I’m interested in law enforcement, and we’ve talked about this before,” she said. “I’m interested in the kind of work they do, helping people.”

She also signed up for an exam. “Besides,” she said, “I speak French now. I could use a third language.”