AP IMPACT: Border Patrol sees spike in suicides

[underpants]

Source: AP

Suicides including these have set off alarm bells throughout the agency responsible for policing the nation's borders. After nearly four years without a single suicide in their ranks, border agents are killing themselves in greater numbers. Records obtained by The Associated Press show that at least 15 agents have taken their own lives since February 2008 — the largest spike in suicides the agency has seen in at least 20 years.

The job, which starts at about $37,000 a year, has changed dramatically since the hiring surge began. Two years ago, an agent at a busy border station might have processed 150 illegal crossers a day.

But stepped-up border security — including 600 miles of fence and an even larger "virtual" fence that is monitored online — has reduced the number of illegal crossings, as has the economic hardship of the recession.


The rate of suicides nationally is about 12 per 100,000 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Law enforcement rates are about 20 per 100,000, while the Border Patrol's pace has the agency hovering in the upper 20s to low 30s per 100,000.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h2_ID3Li6Qw4s0wp7tANb1CrSZjQD9HKPT480

[Xipe Totec]

1. In a dysfunctional organization, it is sane people who act irrationally. nt

[bloomington-lib]

2. More from the article

"The result is a job that went from thrilling to downright boring. Agents often spent 12-hour shifts sitting alone in Jeeps and pickups keeping watch for illegal immigrants.

"Now an agent may start his shift and sit in one position for eight hours and monitor traffic and do their work," said psychologist Kenneth Middleton, clinical director of the Border Patrol's peer-support program. "Now they've got a whole lot of time to think about other things going on in their life."

Their job is so boring they kill themselves? And if it's so slow why are we spending a ton of money and charging the Indians to beef up security?

[Downwinder]

3. Fences not only fence people out. They can also fence people in.

Border guards do the same.

Remember the 2002 C.E.O. run for the Border
http://www.satirewire.com/news/june02/ceonistas.shtml

This time the border patrol is ready.

[skoalyman]

4. that was funny read

:rofl:

[mike r]

5. Thousands of people are applying for those boring jobs