BORDER WATCH : Example’s Power

Things are changing lately in the Border Patrol. The fact that the agency wants to fire five officers for abusing an illegal immigrant is not only unusual but is a strong indication that the current top-down effort to professionalize the patrol is sincere. After all, just a few years ago patrol officers were rarely disciplined even for offenses as grave as drug trafficking.

The illustrative case began in November, 1993. Six agents from the Chula Vista station were chasing seven illegal immigrants north of the frontier. To flush them from hiding in the bushes of a marsh, the agents began hurling rocks. One of the migrants was hit on the head, and at the sight of the bloody man the agents left the scene and later covered up the incident. The wounded man reported the case to the San Diego police, and the complaint led to a federal investigation during which one of the agents, a rookie, admitted what he and the others had hidden from their superiors.

Were the seven men trying to illegally cross the border wrong? Of course; they were breaking the law. But those who uphold and enforce U.S. laws must set an example. Their conduct should be above reproach. That’s why the swift investigation undertaken by the Border Patrol in this case was necessary and welcome. Border Patrol chief Johnny Williams will have to make a decision on the career of each of the agents involved. Whatever the outcome, an important message has been delivered to officers on the border: Do your job, but do it by the book.