Smart pass' lets travelers cross border with ease
March 17, 2004 12:48pm
Great Falls Tribune
By JARED MILLER Tribune Regional Reporter
PORT OF SWEET GRASS - Crossing the U.S.-Canada border at the Port of Sweet Grass north of Shelby just got a lot snappier with a new "smart pass" for qualified travelers.
The new pass system, called NEXUS, is part of an effort to hustle low-risk travelers along so inspectors can focus on drug smugglers and potential terrorists, said Mike Milne, spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Seattle.
Sweet Grass is only the seventh port on the northern border to install the new system. Both the United States and Canada participate in the program.
"This is like an express lane for people who are pre-screened and determined to be low-risk travelers," said Port of Sweet Grass Director Larry Overcast.
NEXUS will be especially useful for Canadian children who attend school in Sunburst, or daily business commuters, Overcast said.
Mike Hofer, secretary at Hillside Hutterite Colony, said colony members cross the border daily at certain times of the year. He welcomes a speedier crossing, and said he'll check into NEXUS.
"We've had lineups (at the border) where we've waited two hours," Hofer said.
NEXUS pass holders have their own lane at the border station. They simply drive up and wave a proximity card in front of a sensor.
To get a NEXUS pass, travelers must apply and submit to fingerprinting, a background check, biometric screening and a personal interview. Both countries must approve the pass.
The system is so new that fewer than 20 people have signed up so far.
Port inspectors will conduct spot checks to prevent criminals from taking advantage of the system.
"It's not a free pass," Milne said. "It doesn't mean the folks are not subject to questioning. It doesn't mean they are not subject to search. They are."
The Port of Sweet Grass last month got a similar program called FAST, or Free and Secure Trade, for commercial travelers, Overcast said. About 50 drivers have signed up for that program.
hoovers.com
steve |
