45 new Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers will be making their way to Windsor.
The announcement was made Friday at the Ambassador Bridge port of entry by London West MP and Deputy Government House Leader, Arielle Kayabaga, on behalf of Prime Minister Mark Carney from the upcoming budget.
The announcement included new measures such as 1,000 new CBSA officers across Canada, an increase to CBSA's recruit stipend for the first time since 2005, raising it from $125 to $525 per week, amending the Public Service Superannuation Act to ensure CBSA officers and other frontline first responders receive proper benefits, and stronger retirement options.
The federal government is moving forward with a $617.7-million investment over the next five years to implement the new measures.
Windsor will see 45 new officers who won't be directly at the Ambassador Bridge, but will instead have a presence at key air, land, rail, and marine ports of entry.
Justin Morgan, Acting Director for CBSA at the Ambassador Bridge, says a big focus for these new officers will be in the courier stream.
"The biggest one we see is firearms, so what ends up happening for CBSA is that we may end up intercepting a firearm part. It's not the actual firearm itself, but individuals will ship parts separately, get it across the border, and then assemble it and that's a firearm that's on the streets."
He says just this past week the Ambassador Bridge received upgraded technology.
"We got our large-scale imaging unit, which is a new one to replace what we have here. CBSA has already invested $6.5-million on large-scale imaging which allows us to x-ray those trucks, and look at them very quickly. An x-ray will allow us to examine a truck in approximately 10 minutes."
Morgan says this investment will allow CBSA officers to remove individuals who pose a safety risk to Canadians.
"Members of organized crime groups, serious criminality, that pose a national security threat to us, and also individuals that are in the country that have committed crimes against humanity, and war crimes. So, last year CBSA removed over 18,000 people who should not be in this country because they were inadmissible. That's the highest total we've had in over a decade."
These changes aim to help attract and retain the next generation of border officers, while also strengthening enforcement against organized crime, human and drug smuggling, immigration fraud, and terrorism.
The federal budget is set for November 4, and will have a large focus on discipline investments to strengthen public safety, and economic growth.