NCJ Number
96398
Date Published
1984
Length
92 pages
Annotation
This evaluation of the New York State Police Violent Felony Warrent Squad (VFWS) indicates that the VFWS improves the chance of apprehending persons wanted on violent felony warrants who have left the issuing jurisdiction; it is unclear whether or not the VFWS enables local agencies to improve their service of nonviolent felony warrants.
Abstract
Data (for 1982) were obtained from several sources including State criminal justice documents, personal and telephone interviews with State and local law enforcement officials and VFWS personnel, and site visits to three upstate locations. Data show that the VFWS closed 80.5 percent of its 1982 cases by arrest, and the remainder through investigation. The squad transported 312 prisoners that year, an increase of 57 percent over the 178 prisoners transported in 1981. In one of two jurisdictions providing data, the proportion of unserved violent felony warrants was reduced; in both, the time required to serve the warrants was shortened. Although there is an increasing backlog of unserved warrants, it is probably due to large, steady increases in the annual total number of warrants. Prosecutors report that fewer defendants are appealing convictions on the grounds of lack of due diligence in warrant service. The VFWS' relay transport system is more efficient and cost-effective than transport by local agencies. It uses less investigative time per officer and incurs no overtime or per diem expenses. Startup costs were limited to the purchase of 29 vehicles and related equipment, since the squad is using existing State police support. Annual operating costs for 1981 and 1982 were $907,000 and $920,000, respectively. Operating costs of just under $1.3 million in 1983 were attributed to the increase in staffing, from 29 to 35 investigators. The evaluation design and methodology, a list of respondents, and the survey instruments are appended.