In The News
McAllen Monitor: CBP appoints officers to handle border crosser complaints
HIDALGO, Texas,
March 10, 2015
CBP appoints officers to handle border crosser complaints
Posted: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 6:43 pm HIDALGO — U.S. Customs and Border Protection has appointed 11 “professionalism service managers” to take complaints — or compliments — from travelers passing through eight South Texas ports of entry, mandated under the latest law that provides its funding.
CBP’s Laredo Field Office announced Tuesday the PRIDE — professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence — Initiative, which started this month when President Barack Obama signed legislation that ended a partisan standoff over funding the Homeland Security Department.
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, pushed for the agency to review officer training and provide Congress an update within 60 days.
“People who are familiar with border crossing will tell you they do a good job but the part on how they treat people they need to do a much better job,” he said. “We’re going to provide them the funding, all we ask you is treat our visitors with the respect, dignity and professionalism that they deserve.”
The number of complaints either at a national or local level were not immediately available.
Arnulfo Sanchez, PRIDE Initiative field manager, said there are 11 professionalism service managers for eight ports of entry who will meet four times a year. Sanchez said the managers will hold officers accountable for how they treat border crossers.
The appointed managers will begin a database of the local complaints and compliments to better track how management responds. Currently, only a national database is kept. Employees will also be able to submit feedback to a manager’s mailbox or directly to an employee.
Port directors in Hidalgo, Mission, Rio Grande City and Roma have appointed professionalism service managers tasked with mentoring employees on customer service and educating the public on how to file a complaint or a compliment.
Efrain Solis Jr., the port director at the Pharr, Hidalgo and Anzalduas international bridges, said crossers should file complaints when an incident occurs — not afterward. He said no crossers will be retaliated against if they file a complaint.
“If you violate security requirements you’ll get kicked out, but not for filing a complaint,” he said. |