Out on Foot: Nightly Patrols and Ghostly Tales of a U.S. Border Patrol Agent

by Rocky Elmore

This is a law enforcement book, about the United States Border Patrol. Actual paranormal events, that happened to USBP agents while they were on duty, are described in this work. Fasinating non-paranormal patrols are also included. The setting is the Otay Mountain range, just east of San Diego California.

Genres: Paranormal, Nonfiction, History, Memoir

236 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 2015

Reviews

[Cas · Rating 2 out of 5]

The paranormal stories in this book are fascinating but there are perhaps three or four chapters that are actually dedicated to the paranormal. There was a lot of interesting information on the day to day experiences in the border patrol, but for a book with "Ghostly Tales" in its title, it's sadly lacking in same.

There was also a bit more of the author's personal political meanderings than I would have liked. I kept getting jarred out of the narratives by paragraphs about the uselessness of politically correct language and "pathetic politicians". I'm adult enough to recognize that the author's opinions rise out of experiences that I don't share and are just as valid as mine, but it's a little offensive to be encouraged *by the author* multiple times to put down a book you've just *purchased* because you don't agree with his opinions on immigration reform.

[Sandy Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories from a border patrol agent. I was expecting more paranormal than what was actually recorded in between the pages

[Ursula Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw the author on an episode of “Fear the Woods” about paranormal encounters. The episode covered the story of Agent Santiago, who was killed in the line of duty. His ghost appeared to a number of people. When I learned that he had written a book, I had to read and listen to it. This is a hybrid book, it contains some paranormal material and the full story of Agent Santiago. It is also the memoirs of a dedicated Border Patrol agent and gives you a great behind the scenes look at what officers go through, good, bad, happy and sad. An entertaining and informative book. Do note the advice given, most of the paranormal occurrences happened on Otay Mountain in San Diego, California. That is still a very active area where illegal activity occurs, it is too dangerous to go ghost hunting.

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but not compelling.

Elmore's book promises a lot more than it delivers. The paranormal aspect is very weak and not compelling. The ghost stories are not scary or interesting. I truly think his intention was good, but his execution leaves a lot to be desired.

[Nathan Worthington · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I originally heard about this book on an episode of the superb podcast, Spooked, hosted by Glynn Washington. Once I heard the episode segment, which is also included in this book by Agent Elmore, I knew I had to read this memoir. I was not disappointed at all by my decision.)

This book, written by Border Patrol Agent Rocky Elmore (Retired), gives readers glimpses into the nightly patrols that agents have to conduct each & every night. In addition, Agent Elmore provides brief glimpses into some supernatural happenings that occurred to him &/or other agents he knew personally throughout his career with the agency.

I would have to say the book can probably be divided into two categories: "nightly patrols" (70%) & "ghostly tales" (30%). Or it might be more like 80/20. Either way, the reader does get to see the everyday activities of a border patrol agent through the eyes of a career member of law enforcement. I was quite unaware of the everyday dangerous aspects of the job. (I am not naive, but I did not know how high the death rates are among agents, either by suicide or in the line of duty.)

While some might find offense in Agent Elmore's political viewpoints (which occur through his writing), just take a deep breath & read on. Just because you might agree or disagree with someone politically, either way, it does not mean you cannot learn something from the other person.

The supernatural occurrences in this book are sprinkled throughout this memoir. Personally, I wish there had been more 'episodes' throughout the book, but I am glad Agent Elmore did not just include drivel &/or gossip from co-workers about the supernatural. He only included those "ghostly tales" which occurred to him or those for which he could vouch for their veracity, as they were close co-workers of his.

If you are interested in either a brief introduction to the world of the Border Patrol or you want to hear some "ghostly tales," I recommend this book to you.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

**edit: I may be mistaken about the podcast, since it seems he always appeared on Spooked**

If the option were available, I would call it 2 1/2 stars. I ordered this book after hearing about Rocky Elmore’s experiences on the podcast “Astonishing Legends”. His stories are interesting, I just wish the book would have given more than I heard through the podcast (in terms of paranormal experiences). It’s not necessarily something the writer could have done differently; if that’s all the details to tell, that’s that. There were some experiences that weren’t discussed on the podcast that were included in the book, but not as much as I had hoped.

I have no doubt these encounters would make any border patrol agent’s blood run cold, and the book is definitely full of stories to be shared, although I’m not sure they translated to text quite the same.

Regardless, stories like these should always be discussed. Caitlin Moran says it well; “Whenever I see a taboo, I just think that's something we need to drag screaming out into the light and discuss. Because taboos are where our fears live, and taboos are the things that keep us tiny.”.

Additionally, I’m always happy to support anyone taking such a leap into the unknown. Going from border patrol agent to author is quite a change of pace, and I hope to see more work in the future.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this audiobook after hearing a couple of the author’s scary tales on the podcast “Spooked, presented by Snap Judgement”. The full book was much less suspenseful and not quite as well executed as the parts I heard in podcast form. I think the audiobook narrator may have detracted from my overall enjoyment though. He had a great gravelly voice for it, like a burly cowboy. But his inflections often came across as corny. As other reviewers said, this book is really just a memoir of the career of a border patrol agent and it contained a little more mundane detail about law enforcement acronyms and procedure than I cared to hear. Expect some politics. (That’s a given considering the book’s subject matter). Overall, it’s an uneven work with high points and low points but I think it’s commendable that Mr. Elmore wrote a book to record his unique experiences. Some sections are intriguing and some are just meh. Your dad would probably like this book.

[Nolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this book thinking it would be tons of believable and non believable ghost stories I was wrong.

This book contained stories about the author going through his earlier career and experiencing things that only border patrol agents go through. Also contained stories of survival.

The minimum amount of ghosts stories are very believable and the one in the very end gave me chills as I was reading this book on a hot beach.

I enjoyed it because it wasn’t full of overwhelming nonsense ghost stories like most

And throughly enjoyed it coming from law enforcement myself ( not border patrol ) in the end he talks about honering those who has fallen, and not to take life to seriously. The most important thing is to go home at the end of your shift or tour , or day if your civilian. Enjoy your life laugh and don’t take things to serious.

Very good book

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Billed as a book chalked full of paranormal happenings witnessed by a Border Patrol Agent. However, that’s not the case, the paranormal experiences are few and far between. More accurately, it’s just a memoir. There are more encounters with cougars in this book than there are with the paranormal. It’s an interesting read- but if you’re looking for a book of spooky ghost stories- you won’t be rewarded.

[Paula Eddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Summer Read

I have this book four stars only because it is dry in the early narrative in the book. It is difficult when giving historical narrative to make it exciting, but when the author begins to describe the wildlife encounters and paranormal activity that he and other Border Agents encountered, the book took on a life of its own and became an exciting read. Extremely interesting the things that were encountered in the nightly hunts for illegal aliens.

[Cynthia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this via Kindle unlimited for free and still somehow feel gypped.

For something that was supposed to be a book about the paranormal, I can count maybe half a dozen paranormal stories -- the rest were of his experiences in border patrol, or some meandering rant about politics, or self-aggrandising tirades about his profession.

This should be titled Out on Foot: Me, me and me! (And my political beliefs ft. some spooky illegal aliens).

[Sarah Huntington · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is always such a lot to think about in life and I admit, never once in my memory have I stopped to wonder what the life of a border patrol agent was like. I got this book, for the paranormal stories, but I read the whole thing and loved every story. It was fascinating throughout and now I will always wonder about the lives of border patrol guards and their absolute bravery in the face of many, many challenges.

[Cousin Columbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I thank the author for his service. That said, this was maybe 8% ghost stories, 35% mountain lion stories, and the rest are general border patrol stories. I listened to the spooked podcast after this book and it's funny that he starts things off with mountain lions. I still found it entertaining and informative.

[Shtaylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

outstanding

This book increases my already enormously high opinion of our law enforcement officers. I appreciate the freedoms we have here in America because of the honor and courage of these men and women. Without these people none of us would be able to feel safe as we go about our work and rest. I pray that God keeps them safe as they keep us safe.

[Daniel Mccallister · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly didn’t expect much from this book. I got it on a whim. It was a great read. Lots of insight in the US Border Patrol and I have a newfound respect for the men and women that do this important work.

Lots of fun and fascinating stories throughout. Rocky does a great job taking us out on patrol with him.

[Stacey Chavira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

Thank you Mr Elmore for writing this book! Thank you for sharing your story and giving the world some insight into what a Border Patrol Agent does. Thank you for you service

[Abbie Herrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's really happening at the border

This is an unexpectedly interesting book. I bought it for the weird stuff but the day to day operations held my interest as well. Also I found out what border agents really think about politicians visiting their workspace.

[Josh Gilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting compilation of tales from a former Border Control Agent, ranging from informative, paranormal, and everything in between.

Can be a little dry at times, but there are some fun stories and interesting details to learn about.

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, more information about border patrol than strange stories told which was interesting but not what I bought it would be when I purchased the novel.

[George Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Read

This book is very interesting and tells the story of a largely unknown law enforcement agency. I especially enjoyed the reports of paranormal activity.

[Douglas Reedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat entertaining.

As I was reading this book it came to me how tough U.S. Border Patrol jobs are. These stories show some of the issues they must face on a daily basis.

[Julie Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent -better understanding of border patrol

I enjoyed the personal stories and picture of border patrol agents, and the situations they face. I Recommend this book!

[Charles Reimler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Own Mind Finds Believable “Ghost” Within Book Actually Genuine TruthFul Reality! God Allows A Soul Non-Physical To Manifest Is An Explanation.

[Jami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent first hand account of life as a border patrol agent. Some supernatural episodes included.

[Anton Moss · Rating 3 out of 5]

A campfire story style telling of a fascinating perspective of one of the most dangerous and divisive jobs. Nothing that stuck with me too long, but still solid!

[Jed Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

From a retired PA, Rocky tells it like it was. Great book.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing read!

As a ex security patrol that does security at night and patrols its it an amazing must read! I can a relate to a lot of this.

[Michael Gawlinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as much paranormal stuff as I expected. This would be a four star if the author didn't add in some political comments because then the book would be 'here's my experiences as a border patrol agent, decide for yourself.'

[Stutley Constable · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard about this book early one Saturday morning while driving to work in the wee small hours before dawn. Rocky Elmore, the author, was giving an interview and taking calls on Coast to Coast AM. It was a rebroadcast of the show, but I found Mr. Elmore's descriptions of the paranormal events he'd written about interesting. When I got my copy after a week of waiting I was eager to crack it open and enjoy all the spooky goodness. In that regard I was disappointed. It took six chapters of reminiscences about Mr. Elmore's early days in the Border Patrol to get to his first description of a paranormal event. Those six chapters were interesting from an academic point of view, but that was not why I had purchased the book. I wanted to read about ghost stories.

On balance this book is about the Border Patrol and officers Mr. Elmore worked with. There are a number of spooky incidents recounted, but they are not really the focus of the book. In fact, I could not quite put together what the focus of the book actually was. Mr. Elmore's style of writing is hit and miss. He seems to have written his work in a sort of stream of consciousness manner that takes the reader back and forth along the timeline of his career, stringing together various incidents and slowly familiarizing the reader with what the Border Patrol does. That didn't bother me as much as it might have. What did bother me was the lack of detail when it came to his descriptions of the paranormal events. He included very little detail regarding most of the ghost stories. Perhaps this is because he got his information second hand for the vast majority of them and was recalling the stories from years and years ago. I think if Mr. Elmore had located some of his friends from his time in the Border Patrol and pressed them for details to include his book would have been much more fleshed out and would have been more rewarding for me.

All in all, I liked the book even though I got frustrated with it in several spots. It doesn't take a long time to read and as a description of what the Border Patrol has to go through on behalf of the citizens of the United States it is quite interesting. However, if Mr. Elmore really wanted to tell us about spooky things he should have focused on those spooky things and not so much about the everyday routine of the BP agents. If he wanted to tell us about the BP agents and what they face every day to protect our southern border he should have recounted more stories of close calls and near run things and none of the ghostly tales.

As a first effort 'Out on Foot: Nightly Patrols and Ghostly Tales of a U.S. Border Patrol Agent' isn't bad. Hopefully Mr. Elmore will add an experienced editor to his group of friends and invest some time in learning story craft. I would very much like to read more about these paranormal events, especially if there is more detail to them.

[Mike Casson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had heard rocky on a paranormal podcast last year discussing various ghost and Bigfoot stories, so decided to pick up his book during the black Friday sales.

Essentially the book is 75% story’s about his career with no paranormal aspects what so ever, although he makes his beliefs on social / Immigration issues clear. Depending on your beliefs you may not be particularly enthralled about this.

The paranormal story’s were disappointing for me as he had discussed them all on the Podcast I previously listened to.

I’m happy that people from the law enforcement environment are writing paranormal books but this was a complete flop for me.

Absolute shame, because there was real promise there.