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Fayetteville, AR - The Northwest Arkansas
(NWA) Sex Offender and Violent Crime Task Force, operationally led by the
U.S. Marshals Service Fayetteville Division and fiscally managed by the
Benton County Sheriff’s Office, has arrested more than 550 fugitives since
full time operations began in January 2008. Of those 550 fugitives, more
than 30 fail to register (as a sex offender), 23 sexual assault, 28 rape, 43
state parole violations, and 61 probation violation arrests are attributed
directly to the Task Force. Since numerous offenders had multiple warrants
at the time of capture, it is estimated more than 700 warrants have been
cleared to date. The Task Force is headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas,
and is funded by grant monies from the Department of Justice.
On November 12, 2008, local news anchor
Melissa Kelly with 40/29 KHBS/KHOG television rode along with Deputy U.S.
Marshal Dewaine Allen and members of the Task Force to film various aspects
of a major sex offender compliance operation in Rogers, Arkansas. According
to Deputy Marshal Allen, in a five hour period, 40 contacts were made by
Task Force members and Rogers PD authorities at the homes of registered sex
offenders. Three arrests were made based on various warrants and failure to
comply with sex offender registration laws. “These compliance checks allow
the Task Force, as a group, to assist local agencies in their pursuit of
keeping sex offenders within their community up-to-date in terms of their
registration requirements. Local agencies love it, and we enjoy making
contact with the citizens. It’s something a bit different from regular
warrant eradication efforts,” says Deputy Marshal Allen. The operation in
Rogers is the fourth of such operations run by the Task Force. Similar
compliance checks have been conducted in Siloam Springs, Fayetteville,
Washington County, and Carroll County.
The Northwest Arkansas Sex Offender and
Violent Crime Task Force is comprised of the U.S. Marshals Service, Benton,
Washington, Madison, and Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, as well as
Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Siloam Springs, and the Bentonville Police
Departments. The
Arkansas Department of Community Corrections
joined ranks with the Task Force in June 2008, and has proven an extremely
incredible asset. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office currently manages the
grant that funds the Task Force, but without further funding, the grant will
dissolve in April 2009.
Every year, the U.S. Marshals and its
associated Task Forces throughout the country arrest more fugitives than all
federal law enforcement agencies combined. Last year, this number was more
than 56,600 state and local fugitives and more than 36,000 federal
fugitives. Additional information about the U.S. Marshals can be found at
http://www.usmarshals.gov. |
