Canada: Unarmed border guards cost millions

The federal government is facing a multimillion-dollar bill to find work for border guards who can't -- or won't -- carry guns, newly released documents show.

The Canada Border Services Agency began arming its officers with 9-mm pistols in August, and so far 150 volunteers have successfully completed the training. Eventually, the agency plans to arm 4,800 border guards at all land and marine border crossings, though not at airports.

But an internal analysis indicates that 25-30% of those guards will be unable or unwilling to carry sidearms -- as many as 1,440 employees.

"This estimate was based on consultations with frontline managers, who have firsthand experience in supervising officers on a daily basis," says briefing material obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act.

'CULTURAL CHANGE'

"In many cases, these managers have had informal discussions with staff where views were expressed freely and openly."

Last year, the Conservative government acceded to long-standing demands from the guards' union and others, and set aside $175 million over two years to begin equipping border guards with pistols, eventually choosing the 9mm Beretta PX4 Storm.

In some cases, this "significant cultural change ... will cause officers to reconsider their career choice and to explore potential opportunities to make a change," say internal agency documents.

The agency has agreed in principle to accommodate guards who prefer work that does not require sidearms, or who fail the training program because of physical problems, such as poor vision.

Finding work for unarmed officers will cost the agency $21 million over the next decade, and $4 million annually beyond that, say internal projections prepared for Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day. That could mean moving guards who don't bear arms to administrative positions, or providing incentives for early retirement.

A spokesman for the agency said all officers will be given two chances to pass the firearms training course, which is conducted by the RCMP in Ottawa and Chilliwack, B.C.