America’s Most Wanted host John Walsh will serve as emcee of the event. The TOP COPS Awards are attended by celebrities, politicians and members of the national law enforcement community.

The Top Cops Awards Committees consist of three distinct committees; The Presidential Committee is made up of former President and Mrs. George H.W. Bush, and former President William J. Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton. The Congressional Committee includes United States Senator’s Orrin G. Hatch, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Charles E. Schumer and Trent Lott. The Celebrity Committee includes Richard Belzer and Christopher Meloni of the NBC show Law & Order, Kim Delaney and Dennis Franz from the ABC Show NYPD Blue, Bill Kurtis from the A & E Show American Justice and Cold Case Files, Lynn Russell from CNN, Headline News, and numerous other actors and celebrities.

U.S. Marshal Elliott grew up in Lakewood, Ohio and graduated from St. Edward High School and is a third generation law enforcement officer from the Northern District of Ohio. His Father is a retired Deputy U.S. Marshal; his brother and sister serve as police officers in the greater Cleveland, Ohio area and his great grandfather was the Police Chief of Alliance, Ohio.

Four years ago he was appointed by the President of the United States as the U.S. Marshal to oversee the forty counties of the Northern District of Ohio after being recommended by United States Senator’s Mike DeWine and George Voinovich and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He is the 26th overall U.S. Marshal appointed in the district since the district was formed in 1855. He is also the youngest U.S. Marshal appointed in the history of the district. U.S. Marshal Elliott’s law enforcement career has spanned over 24 years in the greater Cleveland area. He worked undercover narcotics from 1983 until 1987. He then went on in 1987 to follow in his Father’s footsteps and became a Deputy United States Marshal where he worked until 1992. From1992 until 2003, he was an ATF Agent where he investigated terrorism, firearms and explosives cases.

After Cleveland Patrolman Wayne Leon was shot and killed by an individual wanted on a warrant, Marshal Elliott responded with the creation of Fugitive Safe Surrender (FSS). Under this unique and innovative effort, the U.S. Marshals Service partners with local faith and community-based organizations to provide wanted fugitives a chance to surrender to authorities in a safe environment using churches as a place where fugitives can turn themselves in. FSS seeks not only to reduce the risk to law enforcement officers but it helps reduce the risk of accidental injuries or deaths in the communities where fugitives reside or seek refuge. Over the past two years, FSS projects in Cleveland and Phoenix have worked with pastors and other community leaders to help over 2,200 individuals, including more than 700 with outstanding felony charges, surrender safely to police authorities and begin the process of dealing with their criminal records and pending arrest warrants.

“For each fugitive that peacefully and voluntarily surrenders, law enforcement and residents face one less dangerous confrontation on the streets”. “I saw too many of my brothers and sisters in law enforcement and innocent bystanders killed by the desperate actions of those wanted and on the run. I started Fugitive Safe Surrender to take the desperateness out of the situation, to make it safer for our law enforcement officers, our residents and neighborhoods, and to build a new trust between law enforcement and the community.”

“Desperate people commit desperate acts with tragic consequences. My idea was to have that Minister or religious leader in that community, the person that the community trusted the most, shepherd the program and be the advocate for the program. So my idea was simple: to temporarily transform a Church into a Court House, and have the Sheriff’s, Courts, Judges, Prosecutors, Public Defenders located in the Church and have the Minister be the advocate for the program…It has been easy to gain the support of the clergy. They want to make a difference in their neighborhoods and be part of a solution to address crime in their community.” – Pete Elliott, U.S. Marshal, Northern District of Ohio

Marshal Elliott’s idea for this new innovated law enforcement program that partners with the faith based community was the first of its kind in the nation and has now been adopted as a national program by the United States Marshals Service. In addition to Phoenix, plans are under way to implement Fugitive Safe Surrender in Nashville, Memphis, Akron, Indianapolis, Washington D.C., Richmond and Milwaukee. Numerous other cities are anticipated in 2008 and 2009.

“Innovated non traditional programs that think outside the box like Fugitive Safe Surrender is our future and will make our nation safer and create a new trust between the community and law enforcement, I salute Pete for this great idea and congratulate him on being named Top Cop.”- Jim Brown, former Cleveland Browns running back and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“I am extremely excited about the success for the Fugitive Safe Surrender Program,” said United States Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Cleveland, Ohio. “The program is another critical step in breaking the cycle of criminality in this country. By providing a safe and non violent place for people on the run with outstanding warrants to meet their obligation to society, we can help those offenders begin the process of breaking down barriers to successful community re-entry and reduce recidivism. This was a great idea by Pete that will be utilized in communities for years to come.”

In addition to the Marshals Idea for Fugitive Safe Surrender, in June of 2003, he created the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force comprised of local departments and the United States Marshals Service that has had a tremendous impact in reducing crime in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Since its inception in 2003, the task force has worked collaboratively with federal, state, and local law enforcement to arrest more than 10,000 violent fugitives including many sexual predators. In 2003 Marshal Elliott brought the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program to the district to prevent youth crime and gang involvement while developing a positive relationship with law enforcement. The district reaches out to surrounding communities and educates the youth in the Cleveland area. The Marshal formed the (G.R.E.A.T.) Executive Committee and has partnered with professional sports teams, non profit groups, the faith based community, universities and others to build a strong coalition to help youth’s in northern Ohio. This program has now been adopted as a national program by the United States Marshals Service.

“I congratulate Pete on being named a Top Cop of the nation, it is well deserved. The programs he has started in Cleveland have had a positive impact on adults and youth alike. This is a great honor not only for Pete and his family but for all of law enforcement in Ohio.” - George Voinovich United States Senator.

“Being pro-active rather than re-active is what will make a difference-We do not know how many lives will be saved by the Fugitive Safe Surrender Program-It was a great idea and at the end of the day it will make the streets safer for our law enforcement officers.” Grace Leon-Police widow.

Senate Bill 2570/ H.R. 5459 Legislation to authorize funds for the United States Marshals Service’s Fugitive Safe Surrender Program was recently passed. Introduced by former Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH) and Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), this legislation was ultimately enacted and signed into law as part of Public Law No. 109-248, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006.

"This is truly an honor for me and my family and this is especially an honor to be nominated by my fellow law enforcement officers of Ohio.” - Pete Elliott-US Marshal

Founded in 1978, NAPO is now the strongest unified voice supporting law enforcement officers in the United States. NAPO represents more than 2,000 police unions and associations, 238,000 sworn law enforcement officers, 11,000 retired officers and more than 100,000 citizens who share a common dedication to fair and effective crime control and law enforcement.

For all national Top Cop winners visit www.napo.org