PORT ANGELES — Eight people prompted by criticism of the U.S. Border Patrol appeared to favor the federal agency at the City Council meeting this week.
“The Border Patrol presence on the Peninsula and in Clallam County has added a lot,” Jerry Sampont told the Port Angeles City Council on Tuesday.
“They increase the border protection that we didn’t have before,” added the Port Angeles man, who is a retired Seattle police officer.
Sampont, 64 — who was joined by seven other people, none of whom spoke — was speaking in response to comments made by Stop the Checkpoints Committee coordinator Lois Danks to the council two weeks ago.
Danks asked the City Council to oppose plans for a short-term detention facility that the federal Department of Homeland Security plans to build in Port Angeles.
“I can assure you that they don’t speak for everyone in Clallam County,” Sampont said.
The Stop the Checkpoints Committee formed last fall in response to increased Border Patrol activity on the North Olympic Peninsula.
The number of Border Patrol agents active throughout the Peninsula has grown from four stationed in Port Angeles two years ago to 24 now.
Sampont said before the meeting that his goal was to show that support exists for the Border Patrol. He added that he was not sure what the next step would be.
“What I would like to see is people to let city officials and their congressman know they support the Border Patrol in this area,” he said.
“Take the time to make a phone call and not wait until it’s too late.”
In 2008, Border Patrol agents operated roadblocks on U.S. Highway 101 near Forks and state Highway 104 near the Hood Canal Bridge. At the checkpoints, the agents stopped drivers and asked about citizenship.
The last such checkpoint on the Peninsula was on Sept. 9, 2008, but agents also boarded privately owned Port Angeles-based Olympic Bus Lines, primarily at the Discovery Bay stop on Highway 101, to ask the same question.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
