Representatives from the U.S. and Canada met recently to begin the process of re-establishing the Cross-Border Crime Forum (CBCF) and discuss how the two nations can work together to tackle cross-border crime and make their communities safer.
According to a Department of Homeland Security news release, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas met on March 22 with Canadian Minister of Justice and Attorney General David Lametti and Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino to discuss the issues. The release noted that the meeting comes more than a year after President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced plans for a renewed partnership to breathe new life into the CBCF.
“The United States and Canada reiterated our commitment to advance law enforcement cooperation between our two countries and look forward to Canada hosting the next CBCF in 2023,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a news release.
The two nations’ governments also announced plans to work to combat cyber threats that imperil both countries, according to the release. These targets, the release noted, include ransomware attacks and boosting infrastructure involving cyber security.
In an effort to thwart cyber threats before they become an issue, the release noted that both nations will adopt best practices while also ensuring they communicate with stakeholders to ensure efficient and effective response to potential threats and incidents.
The nations also addressed crime, according to the release, and pledged to change policies that drive inequity and injustice for underserved communities on both sides of the border. The release noted that these efforts will include a discussion of criminal justice system data collection as well as looking at ways to combat racial inequality, discrimination and overrepresentation.
