IACP honors Falfurrias Border Patrol Station with award for improved community relations, reductions in crime

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) recently honored the Falfurrias Border Patrol Station with the IACP/Cisco Community Policing Award for its efforts in working with local communities to prevent crime in Brooks County, Texas.

The Falfurrias Border Patrol Station worked with local stakeholders and community members to draft the Falfurrias Station Strategic Plan 2020, which outlines a plan to improve border security and community well-being. Its efforts have already yielded positive results, including decreased incidents of drug smuggling and migrant deaths, along with an increase in prosecutions.

“We are extremely proud of the U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Falfurrias Border Patrol Station,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske said. “As a former chief of police, I know how important it is to work directly with the local community to prevent crime and promote community safety. The Falfurrias Border Patrol Station has put forth a tremendous effort in working with the community to implement a plan to improve safety and border security in their area of responsibility.”

The strategic plan has resulted in a 69 percent reduction in narcotics trafficking, a 154 percent increase in rescues, a 34 percent reduction in migrant deaths and a 73 percent increase in total prosecutions.

“I am very proud of the agents from the Falfurrias Border Patrol Station,” Mark Morgan, chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, said. “Their innovative and collaborative approach to border security has set an example for patrol stations around the country.”