Would increased border patrol reduce the crime rate in America?

Tristan​ ​Umowski

N00847938

Criminal​ ​Justice

October​ ​2,​ ​2017

Impact​ ​of​ ​Increased​ ​Border​ ​Patrol​ ​on​ ​Crime​ ​Rates​ ​in​ ​America

1. Intro:​ ​The​ ​topic​ ​of​ ​Border​ ​Patrol​ ​has​ ​become,​ ​as​ ​of​ ​recently,​ ​a​ ​popular​ ​discussion​ ​in

America.​ ​It​ ​has​ ​caused​ ​lots​ ​of​ ​controversy,​ ​especially​ ​since​ ​President​ ​Trump​ ​stated​ ​he

wanted​ ​to​ ​build​ ​a​ ​wall​ ​between​ ​the​ ​Mexican​ ​and​ ​United​ ​States​ ​border.​ ​This​ ​wall​ ​would

be​ ​a​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​steps​ ​used​ ​to​ ​prevent​ ​the​ ​illegal​ ​entrance​ ​of​ ​Mexicans​ ​into​ ​America.

President​ ​Trump​ ​stated​ ​that​ ​many​ ​of​ ​the​ ​illegal​ ​Mexicans​ ​entering​ ​America​ ​are​ ​criminals

so​ ​the​ ​wall​ ​would​ ​prevent​ ​these​ ​criminals​ ​from​ ​entering​ ​America​ ​ultimately​ ​having​ ​an

effect​ ​on​ ​the​ ​crime​ ​rate​ ​because​ ​less​ ​criminals​ ​would​ ​be​ ​entering​ ​the​ ​country.​ ​Another

problem​ ​that​ ​America’s​ ​border​ ​faces​ ​is​ ​the​ ​constant​ ​flow​ ​of​ ​narcotics​ ​that​ ​come​ ​in​ ​from

Mexico,​ ​so​ ​increased​ ​border​ ​patrol​ ​would​ ​also​ ​eliminate​ ​the​ ​number​ ​of​ ​drugs​ ​that​ ​come

into​ ​America.​ ​So​ ​from​ ​these​ ​problems​ ​America’s​ ​border​ ​faces​ ​the​ ​question​ ​“would

increased​ ​border​ ​patrol​ ​lower​ ​crime​ ​rates”​ ​arises.

2. Thesis:​ ​I​ ​feel​ ​that​ ​increased​ ​border​ ​patrol,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​a​ ​wall​ ​and​ ​more​ ​Border​ ​Patrol​ ​officers,

would​ ​lower​ ​the​ ​crime​ ​rate​ ​in​ ​America.

3. Pros:

a. The​ ​increased​ ​need​ ​for​ ​Border​ ​Patrol​ ​Agents​ ​would​ ​create​ ​more​ ​jobs​ ​for

Americans.​ ​The​ ​building​ ​of​ ​a​ ​wall​ ​would​ ​also​ ​be​ ​a​ ​great​ ​source​ ​of​ ​jobs​ ​for

Americans.

b. Increased​ ​border​ ​patrol​ ​for​ ​cities​ ​in​ ​Texas​ ​on​ ​the​ ​border,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Laredo​ ​and​ ​El

Paso,​ ​saw​ ​decreasing​ ​crime​ ​rates​ ​compared​ ​to​ ​cities​ ​in​ ​Texas​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Houston​ ​and

Dallas.​ ​The​ ​large​ ​presence​ ​of​ ​Border​ ​Patrol,​ ​FBI,​ ​and​ ​DEA​ ​agents​ ​in​ ​these

bordering​ ​cities​ ​lowered​ ​the​ ​crime​ ​rate​ ​in​ ​El​ ​Paso​ ​from​ ​​457​ ​crimes​ ​for​ ​every

100,000​ ​residents​ ​in​ ​2009​ ​to​ ​393​ ​in​ ​2014​ ​(NewAmerica.org).​ ​Although​ ​it​ ​seems

like​ ​a​ ​small​ ​decrease​ ​in​ ​crime,​ ​it​ ​has​ ​a​ ​bigger​ ​effect​ ​over​ ​time.​ ​If​ ​the​ ​crime​ ​rate​ ​of

a​ ​bordering​ ​city​ ​where​ ​illegal​ ​immigrant​ ​crime​ ​would​ ​be​ ​at​ ​its​ ​highest​ ​could

dramatically​ ​decrease​ ​then​ ​increased​ ​border​ ​patrol​ ​could​ ​have​ ​an​ ​impact​ ​on​ ​the

whole​ ​country’s​ ​crime​ ​rate.

c. Increased​ ​border​ ​patrol​ ​would​ ​help​ ​make​ ​solving​ ​crime​ ​easier.​ ​Increased​ ​border

patrol​ ​would​ ​mean​ ​that​ ​the​ ​number​ ​of​ ​illegal​ ​undocumented​ ​citizens​ ​would

decrease.​ ​If​ ​a​ ​crime​ ​was​ ​committed​ ​by​ ​an​ ​illegal​ ​immigrant​ ​it​ ​increases​ ​the

difficulty​ ​on​ ​detectives​ ​to​ ​find​ ​who​ ​committed​ ​the​ ​crime​ ​because​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no

information​ ​on​ ​them.

4. Cons:

a. Increased​ ​border​ ​patrol​ ​and​ ​a​ ​wall​ ​will​ ​not​ ​completely​ ​close​ ​off​ ​all​ ​the​ ​ways​ ​for

illegal​ ​immigrants​ ​to​ ​enter​ ​America.​ ​Even​ ​if​ ​the​ ​border​ ​from​ ​Mexico​ ​to​ ​America

is​ ​closed​ ​off,​ ​illegal​ ​immigrants​ ​could​ ​still​ ​find​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​enter​ ​America​ ​using​ ​the

oceans​ ​and​ ​boats.​ ​Although​ ​there​ ​are​ ​still​ ​Border​ ​Patrol​ ​agents​ ​covering​ ​the

oceans​ ​there​ ​is​ ​more​ ​area​ ​to​ ​patrol​ ​making​ ​the​ ​room​ ​for​ ​error​ ​greater.

b. Building​ ​a​ ​wall​ ​and​ ​hiring​ ​more​ ​Border​ ​Patrol​ ​agents​ ​isn’t​ ​free.​ ​All​ ​this​ ​extra

protection​ ​against​ ​illegal​ ​immigrants​ ​will​ ​come​ ​at​ ​a​ ​price​ ​of​ ​American​ ​citizens​ ​as

they​ ​will​ ​have​ ​to​ ​pay​ ​more​ ​tax​ ​money.​ ​Many​ ​citizens​ ​disagree​ ​with​ ​increased

border​ ​protection​ ​so​ ​forcing​ ​them​ ​to​ ​pay​ ​for​ ​it​ ​with​ ​their​ ​hard​ ​earned​ ​money

would​ ​cause​ ​great​ ​backlash.

c. The​ ​crimes​ ​committed​ ​by​ ​illegal​ ​immigrants​ ​could​ ​be​ ​a​ ​small​ ​percentage​ ​of

America’s​ ​crime​ ​rate.

5. Conclusion:​ ​In​ ​the​ ​end​ ​I​ ​still​ ​feel​ ​that​ ​America​ ​should​ ​increase​ ​border​ ​patrol,​ ​although

after​ ​researching​ ​I​ ​learned​ ​that​ ​illegal​ ​immigrant​ ​crime​ ​does​ ​not​ ​play​ ​that​ ​big​ ​of​ ​a​ ​role​ ​in

the​ ​crime​ ​rate.​ ​Even​ ​though​ ​illegal​ ​immigrant​ ​crime​ ​is​ ​not​ ​that​ ​big​ ​of​ ​a​ ​percentage,

increased​ ​border​ ​patrol​ ​would​ ​still​ ​prevent​ ​undocumented​ ​citizens​ ​and​ ​the​ ​continuous

flow​ ​of​ ​narcotics​ ​into​ ​America.