see also: in March 2008:   Summer Months an Added Challenge for Border Patrol   Los Meses de Verano, un Reto Para la Patrulla Fronteriza   Border Patrol Agents Rescue 38 Illegal Aliens from Smuggling Attempt   Laredo North Station Border Patrol Agents Arrest MS-13 Member   Laredo Sector Border Patrol Agents Arrest 18th Street Gang Member   El Paso CBP Officers View HDTV: Hidden Drugs in TV Set   El Paso Border Patrol Agents Arrest Criminals with Extensive Records ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

contacts for this news release

Chicago — Recently, two representatives from Customs and Border Protection, Chicago Field Office were selected to give testimony regarding local television station, CAN TV, at a Chicago Cable Commission meeting in order to emphasize the importance of community television in Chicago. At the meeting on March 11, 2008, the two CBP representatives were Joseph Kolb, Operations Specialist, Admissibility & Passenger Programs and Brett Sturgeon, Public Affairs Officer.

CAN TV, a Chicago public access television station, appears quarterly before the Chicago Cable Commission to report on their activities and services in order to educate the commissioners and cable companies about the value of CAN TV to the public. At this meeting, CAN TV representatives thank cable companies for their support of these activities, and stress why it is important that CAN TV continue to exist. It was the first time that Chicago CBP was asked to appeared before the Chicago Cable Commission at the request of CAN TV management to provide testimony on the benefits and importance of CAN TV to CBP’s outreach mission. This meeting was televised live on MUTV 23 in Chicago beginning at 11 a.m.

The Chicago CBP Field Office and CBP Chicago Public Affairs currently produce a weekly television show called, Customs and Border Protection with Director David Murphy. The live 25-minute show runs for 13 weeks, airs every Friday at 4 p.m., and is on CAN TV Hotline 21, which reaches over 400,000 households, with the potential of one million cable viewers. The first show aired on July 6, 2007 and since that time 23 shows have been completed. David Murphy, Director of Field Operations in Chicago hosts the show along with his guest, a subject matter expert on the weekly topic of discussion. CBP Public Affairs Officers Cherise Miles and Brett Sturgeon write and produce each show.

The topics range from "The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative" to "Know Before You Go" and are intended to inform and educate Chicago residents on International Travel and CBP programs. During each show, numerous phone calls are received concerning the topics discussed and answered live on the air. For instance, during the "CBP Agriculture Specialist Show", a caller asked why her powdered soup was taken from her by CBP when she was returning from a trip abroad. This is a question that guest, Chief Agriculture Specialist Mark Grzeszkowiak, was able to answer on the show by explaining why it was necessary for CBP to detain the caller’s soup.

CAN TV CBP shows have included:

US Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Show
US Citizenship and Immigration Services Show
National Recruitment of CBP Officers Show
Admissibility into the US Show
International Trade Show
Counterfeit Check Scams
Marriage Fraud

The show that appeared last Friday was on counterfeit check scams and CBP officers explained how some of the scams worked and how people could avoid being victimized by the con artists.

David J. Murphy, Director of Field Operations in Chicago said, "These live interactive television shows have been very successful at putting a face on CBP and explaining the function of CBP and CBP officers. I feel that this show on CAN TV provides a fantastic medium for important information to reach the residents of Chicago. After all, CBP at Chicago O’Hare processes over five million international passengers a year, many of whom live right here in the Chicago viewing area."

The show, Customs and Border Protection with Director David Murphy, is now in its second-13 week season and will begin the third season in July 2008.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.