The "operational control" label caused some controversy after GAO reported in February that CBP had only 126 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border under operational control. CBP's metrics systems failed to articulate that the remainder of the border was also secure but was categorized at the "monitored" or "low-level monitored" level and not at the "operational control" level. The operational control level is the top of a five-level scale that the CBP uses to assess security at the border. Nearly two-thirds of the southwest border is at the "monitored" level, GAO said in its report, meaning that there is a high probability of detecting illegal activity but CBP's ability to react depends on availability of resources and area accessibility. The remaining parts of the border were considered "low-level monitored."
To better communicate the security of the border in the future, CBP will begin using the "Border Condition Index" in fiscal year 2013, which is based on outcomes of border activity.
CBP also plans to use an estimate of total illegal crossings and the probability of apprehension by border agents based on a Homeland Security Institute statistical model and figures from external data sources, GAO said.
The Border Patrol will also introduce measurement tools to assess the effectiveness of the new 2012-2016 strategy.
The GAO report is available here.
