Two Border Crossings to Get 48 New Inspectors

The U.S. Customs Service has approved the hiring of 48 new inspectors for the border crossings at San Ysidro and Otay Mesa, a staff increase that a top official said could lead to a “dramatic” easing of the legendary traffic tie-ups that now plague the two ports.

However, Allan Rappoport, district director for the Customs Service in San Diego, said that the new staffers would not be on board for six months to a year, meaning any change will not be immediately evident.

“It ought to have a dramatic effect,” said Rappoport, who added that regional customs officials in Los Angeles informed him last week that his request for increased staffing had been approved. “How dramatic we don’t know. You can do a lot of things with 48 people.”

The long delays, which characterize border crossings from Texas to California, are one of the most intractable and longstanding problems along the border, and have often led to strains in U.S.-Mexico relations.

Rappoport said his “philosophical goal” was to reduce the maximum delay entering the United States to 15 minutes--a dream for many border motorists accustomed to clutch-burning, radiator-overheating tie-ups of an hour or more. However, Rappoport quickly added that the goal may be unattainable.

“I’m not telling anybody that that’s going to happen,” he said of the 15-minute target.

Praised by Business Groups

Nonetheless, the decision to add 48 inspectors was immediately praised by business groups on both sides of the border, who have long called on U.S. officials to take steps to improve the traffic flow.

“It’s welcome news,” said Paul Clark, executive director of the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce. “That’s great.”

Speaking through a spokeswoman, Alfonso Bustamante, president of the Tijuana Convention and Visitors Bureau, an industry group, called the development “wonderful news.” Bustamante and other border business leaders had been meeting with U.S. officials recently in an attempt to convince authorities to take permanent steps to ease the traffic problem.

“It’s in the interests of both countries that this condition be remedied,” said the spokeswoman.

During Super Bowl week in January, U.S. officials made a concerted effort to avoid delays by posting additional personnel at the border. Traffic generally moved smoothly. Merchants in Mexico and the United States praised the move.

Delays Exceeding 2 Hours

For years, businessmen, tourists and others along the border have complained about the long waits entering the United States. Delays have been known to exceed two hours or more at some times, such as holiday weekends and during periodic stepped-up inspections for drugs.

Although U.S. authorities have available 23 traffic lanes at San Ysidro and 8 more at Otay Mesa, more than half of the lanes are routinely unmanned, forcing frustrated motorists to wait in lengthy queues.

Tijuana merchants have said that the motorist frustration caused by the delays has hurt business. The border is a thriving commercial area, and each day thousands of people cross and spend money in the neighboring country. Some estimates say Mexicans spend as much as $450 million or more each year in San Diego County.

The prospect of delays has certainly deterred many would-be visitors from crossing the border, merchants say.

Rappoport, the customs official, said that the 48 new positions will substantially increase his staff. However, he declined to say how many inspectors were currently on duty at the border, expressing fears that such information would be used by smugglers.

The customs service shares inspection responsibilities with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.