New Hampshire leaders announced a new effort Thursday aimed at shoring up security along the U.S.-Canadian border.
Gov. Chris Sununu, Attorney General John Formella and Department of Safety Commissioner Robert Quinn held a press conference to announce the establishment of the Northern Border Alliance Task Force, composed of state, county and local law enforcement officers. The task force will conduct patrols along the northern border in an effort to reduce crime, respond to threats and collect intelligence. The new group will also cooperate, as needed, with federal law enforcement officers in enforcing federal immigration laws.
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“The Federal Government refuses to take action on our Northern Border,” Sununu said in a statement. “They cut funding, limited our resources, and have thrown their hands up. Without adequate federal support, the state is stepping up."
The task force will be funded by the state Department of Safety, which has over $1.4 million in grant money available for state police, forest rangers, the Fish and Game Department and county and local law enforcement agencies to fund patrols within 25 miles of the Canadian border.
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“Our aim is to increase the presence and effectiveness of law enforcement in northern New Hampshire, particularly in communities in close proximity to the Canadian border. Given the rural nature, expansive geography, and sparse population of northern Coos County, local law enforcement resources are extremely limited,” Formella said. “The increase in personnel provided by the Northern Border Alliance Program and Task Force will add ten thousand patrol hours near the border through June 30, 2025. This will shorten response times to calls for service in the region, increase the effectiveness of crime detection and prevention in a remote area of the State, and enhance border security efforts.”
All law enforcement officers conducting activities, patrols and investigations for the task force will serve under the supervision of the attorney general's office. In order to be part of the task force, law enforcement officers msut be employed by a state, local or county law enforcement agency and participate in training jointly conducted by the attorney general's office and state police. Eligible law enforcement officers must also receive approval from the chief law enforcement officer of the agency where they work.
The first phase of the Northern Border Alliance Task Force will begin immediately, officials said. The second phase allowing local and conty law enforcement officers to join the task force will begin when the rules for the program become effective, which is expected to happen at a meeting of the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules on Nov. 16.