Canada Border Services Agency has many unique features at the new Gordie Howe International Bridge. The CBSA hired 250 new staff members to accommodate the third border crossing between Windsor and Detroit. Among them, Detector Dog Unique, trained to find illegal drugs and firearms in passenger vehicles and commercial trucks. Also unique to the Gordie is a four-bag garage where Border Services Officers can run luggage through a special x-ray machine similar to airport security. They also have a specialized tool for searching vehicles without opening any doors. Sydney Kale, CBSA District Director says it’s called a Rolex machine that “...examines things like spare tires, propane tanks, and luggage that might have things hidden inside of them.” There is also a designated area for hazardous materials, processing large tour buses and plenty of parking for all kinds of vehicles, from cars to RVs, buses to limousines. Inside the buildings, along with kiosks to pay duty or fill out paperwork, there is also a special lounge for asylum seekers. At other Canadian border crossings, staff continue to use mobile technology to take a peek inside a transport truck cargo. Another unique feature on the Gordie is a “fixed large scale imaging machine.” “We are able to take this non-intrusive look at what’s inside,” Kale explained. “Our officers are trained to detect anomalies, so they have a lot of training into what the images mean and what different things produce as far as different images. And then we can identify a truck that needs a further exam and ones that don’t, they can be on their way.”
