NCJ Number
211147
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 72 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2005 Pages: 26-28,30
Date Published
August 2005
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes the development, operations, and evaluation of fugitive task forces that combine the resources of Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies.
Abstract
Very few law enforcement agencies have sufficient resources to maintain an active, internal fugitive apprehension squad. A task force can help overcome resource limitations by combining the resources of multiple agencies, including neighboring local agencies as well as State and Federal agencies. The task force focuses only on the apprehension of fugitives. One example of such a task force is the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF), which is a collaboration of local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies. CARFTF's jurisdiction extends from Baltimore, MD, to Norfolk, VA. CARFTF was created as one of five congressionally funded national task forces hosted by the U.S. Marshals Service, which has a long tradition of fugitive apprehension. This article describes specific operations of CARFTF in Richmond, VA, and Petersburg, VA. In the latter case, the Petersburg Police Department asked the Marshals Service to plan and execute a fugitive sweep designed to clear as many of the city's outstanding arrest warrants as possible. The phases of the project, called Operation Eagle Claw, are described. The Marshals Service also sponsored Operation Falcon, the first-ever national fugitive roundup. An evaluation of this effort found that more than 70 percent of those arrested had a prior criminal record. Some marketing techniques used by fugitive task forces are the development of a "most wanted" program, seeking tips from the public through advertisements and tip hotlines, using the media, and developing a fugitive apprehension project.