By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
PITTSBURG – In the past six months, the Northern Border Alliance with Canada made 10 arrests and assisted the border patrol in seven instances and dealt with one report from customs about suspicious activity at the border.
The NBA, which includes law enforcement officers who work within 25 miles of the border “has enhanced public safety by enabling faster response times to emergencies and increasing backup and support for law enforcement,” wrote Robert Quinn, Commissioner of Safety, in the required semi-annual report to Gov. Kelly Ayotte, drafted July 18.
The time frame for the report was from Jan. 1, 2025 until the end of June.
It shows the NBA had 2,822 contacts with individuals and 673 motor vehicle stops.
This contrasts to a report from July. 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 which showed 3,218 contacts with individuals, 21 arrests and four reports from Customs and Border Protection about suspicious activity at the border with Canada.
In both reports, those arrests had nothing to do with people illegally entering the United States but ranged from offenses including illegal night hunting, suspended registrations, driving while intoxicated and arrests on a warrant for fugitive from justice among others.
For the first half of 2024 the NBA had no pursuits, 15 criminal investigations, 58 citations or summonses, responded to 80 emergency calls, and issued 80 warnings. The highest mode of activity was 1,287 contacts with those on Off Highway Road Vehicles and pedestrians, the report shows.
Commissioner Quinn wrote that the presence and visibility of participating law enforcement – who are working overtime as part of this effort – is “fostering strong relationships with all residents and visitors,” and act as a deterrent against crime.
The program, which was established by former Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican in 2022, has been lauded by Gov. Kelly Ayotte, a fellow Republican who visited the border earlier in her term and is expected in Pittsburg for a Governor and Council meeting July 30.
The total fiscal year 2025 expenditure which just ended the year on June 30 shows a total of about $756,000 spent and a remaining balance of more than $300,000.
State Police have been able to purchase vehicles for the NBA use including two snowmobiles, a truck and cargo trailer and a utility terrain vehicle, the report shows, among other expenses.
By far the largest amount of money is going to pay law enforcement personnel.
The ACLU of New Hampshire has questioned why taxpayer dollars are still allocated for the northern border after data on encounters by both Border Patrol and the state’s Northern Border Alliance Task Force from January to May 2024 showed zero encounters.
The organization did not immediately comment on the new data.
“Instead of spending time and money on critical issues in the North Country like housing, substance use treatment, and mental health resources, legislators in Concord keep investing limited time and taxpayer dollars into a truly nonexistent border issue. Unlawful border crossings are incredibly rare occurrences in our state – and the data has shown that repeatedly for more than a year and a half,” said Amanda Azad, policy director at the ACLU of New Hampshire in 2024.
“We continue to advocate that these funds, which stand at $1.4 million, be reallocated to things that actually help Granite Staters and that the state stop the unnecessary and harmful expansion of using local law enforcement for immigration purposes.”