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Western District
of Virginia – The 52 counties in the Western
District of Virginia are much safer this week as
local, state and federal law enforcement joined
forces for a week-long fugitive apprehension effort
last week. FALCON, the acronym for Federal And Local
Cops Organized Nationally, soared into the district
June 1 and by the time the week was over 626
fugitives had been apprehended and 930 warrants
cleared.
Operation FALCON
2008, the fifth in the series of U.S. Marshals
Service-led fugitive apprehension initiatives
partnered deputy U.S. marshals with local police,
sheriffs, state troopers and other federal agencies,
each dedicating man power and resources to the goal
of removing as many violent offenders from our
streets and communities as possible while clearing
backlogged warrants from law enforcement’s files.
The successful
partnership has been bad news for criminals for the
past four years as law enforcement joined together,
with community safety and crime reduction as a
common goal, to capture over 36,500 fugitives.
Arrests in the Western District of Virginia targeted
fugitives wanted for crimes of violence, sex
offenders, gang members and narcotics violations.
Participating agencies were encouraged to identify
wanted persons within their communities who were
then targeted by assigned arrest teams within each
geographical area.
The breakdown of violent offenders apprehended is as
follows:
|
Sex Offenses |
10 |
|
Sex Assaults
|
5 |
|
Failure to
Register as a Sex Offender |
6 |
|
Arson
|
1 |
|
Assault |
105 |
|
Burglary /
Larceny |
119 |
|
Extortion |
1 |
|
Financial /
Fraud |
85 |
|
Homicide |
1 |
|
Kidnapping |
5 |
|
Narcotics |
136 |
|
Robbery |
13 |
|
Vehicle
Theft |
7 |
|
Weapons
Violations |
27 |
|
Other
Warrants Arrest |
105 |
“We are pleased that local law enforcement often
looks upon operations such as FALCON as an
opportunity to address fugitive apprehension issues
in their communities,” said John F. Clark, Director
of the U.S. Marshals Service. “In the end, when this
operation is over, our local partners are the people
who will continue to live and work in the
communities that Operation FALCON serves. We are
committed to leaving behind a safer community for
all of them.”
The success of the FALCON operations has proven to
be the largest and most successful fugitive
apprehension efforts in the history of the U.S.
Marshals. When law enforcement agencies combine
their resources, the greater good of society always
comes out on top.
“The cooperation and
enthusiasm of law enforcement agencies in the
Western District of
Virginia has always been incredible,” said U.S.
Marshal Wayne Pike. “We are facing new challenges in
law enforcement and must always adapt to overcome
sometimes overwhelming odds when faced with the
criminal element that places our communities in
danger. With our law enforcement partners, law
enforcement at all levels is dedicated to a safer
Virginia, nation and world and it shows in this
tremendous success.”
More information on the
U.S. Marshals Service and Operation FALCON 2008 can
be found on the Internet at
http://www.usmarshals.gov.
America’s Oldest Federal Law Enforcement Agency
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