USA Today investigation details challenges of pursuing fugitives

A USA Today investigation initially conducted in 2014 has revealed that police departments across the country, in certain circumstances, would not pursue thousands of fugitives if they have fled the state where they have committed a crime.  The USA Today investigation led by reporter Brad Heath suggests that police departments will not pursue fugitives who flee state boundaries because they did not want to allocate the time nor necessary resources to arrest them from another county or state.


Advocates for victims of crimes suggest that the financial cost of apprehending fugitives across state lines restricts law enforcement personnel from arresting fugitives.  “I’m troubled as to what might be driving these choices, and if it’s solely financial, then what are we going to do to reverse that.  These are dangerous people,” says Will Marling, executive director of the National Organization for Victim Assistance.


The fugitives that police do not pursue represent a lingering challenge for law enforcement officials: ensuring that people who are arrested and post bail show up to court to face the charges against them.


The Federal Bureau of Investigation mandates that law enforcement agencies verify the accuracy of their fugitive listings at least once a year.  “That shocks me.  I can’t imagine why anybody would take a major felony and say we’ll only arrest him within the state.  I cannot imagine a case of sexual abuse or rape or murder where I would not go to the ends of the earth to get that person back,” says Joshua Marquis, the county prosecutor in Astoria, Oregon.  


“It really comes down to cost,” says Jack Manning, who is in charge of a police unit responsible for arresting people wanted by the Las Vegas municipal court system.


The information gathered by the USA Today investigation points out the difficulty involved in the extradition process.  Extradition refers to the process of law enforcement officials apprehending fugitives from another state.  Thousands of fugitives across the country are wanted for domestic abuse, rape, murder, bank robberies, arson, and other crimes.  Holding the perpetrators of these crimes accountable for their actions is necessary to uphold our societal laws.  I have six recommendations to help authorities apprehend fugitives: 


1. Obtain federal grants to assist local, county, and state law enforcement agencies.


2. Host public information forums/community awareness seminars regarding where fugitives might go when they are on the run.  Place pictures of fugitives on billboards, in newspapers, on the internet, etc.


3. Increase information sharing among police departments & county prosecutors across county and state boundaries.  Develop a national strategic plan for investigating, locating, arresting, and prosecuting the most violent fugitives.


4. Increase the reward amount for information leading to the apprehension of fugitives.  For example, if the current reward for information for a fugitive is $25,000, increase the amount to $40,000.


5. Ensure that the charges the fugitives are facing are completely accurate.


6. Utilize the latest technology available and most current law enforcement techniques to apprehend fugitives. 


The United States Marshals Service is one of the several law enforcement agencies tasked with apprehending fugitives of the law.  According to the Marshals Service Strategic Plan 2012 – 2016: “The USMS arrests approximately 35,000 federal absconders annually in addition to apprehending approximately 85,000 state and local fugitives through its vast network of fugitive task forces.”  


Sources: USMS Strategic Plan 2012 – 2016.
“For a million fugitives, freedom starts at county line,” by Brad Heath. USA Today. August 6, 2014. 
“Police stop pursuing nearly 79,000 fugitives,” by Brad Heath. USA Today. December 18, 2014. 

Comments

  1. Sybil GilchristJune 24, 2016 at 11:05 PM

    Very interesting and clearly outlined. A very serious issue. You have a lot of worthwile information

    ReplyDelete
  2. Steven GilchristSeptember 5, 2016 at 3:59 PM

    Thank you for your insight Sybil. This is a serious topic and I hope to continue to provide pertinent information about violent fugitives who continue to evade justice.
    -Steven

    ReplyDelete

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