The United States Marshal Service for the District of Delaware announced the
arrest of 236 fugitives by the First State Fugitive Task Force for the year
2007. Of the 236 arrests made by the task force this year, 16 were for
homicide, 8 for rape, 13 for robbery, 6 for kidnapping, 76 for weapons charges
and 27 for failing to register as a sex offender. Although there was a 32%
reduction in fugitive arrest from 1996, the District of Delaware did not
participate in a week-long fugitive roundup, Operation FALCON as it has in
previous years. In the year 2006, there were 349 fugitive arrests, 13 were for
homicide, 12 for rape, 25 for robbery, 4 for kidnapping, 73 for weapons charges
and 70 for failure to register as a sex offender.
The task force is comprised of Deputy United States Marshals and officers from
the Delaware State Police, Delaware State Probation and Parole and the New
Castle County and Wilmington Police Departments. United States Marshal for the
District of Delaware, David W. Thomas stated that police officers from the
Delaware agencies are sworn in as Special Deputy United States Marshals thereby
giving them arrest powers in all 50 states and U.S. Territories. “Because
Delaware is so small, we find that many of the fugitives we seek frequently flee
to adjoining states. Having our task force members sworn in as federal law
enforcement officers allows us to cross state lines without jurisdictional
concerns,” Thomas said. “If our investigators determine that the fugitive has
fled even farther, we’ll forward that case to the U.S. Marshals whose district
covers that location. Some of our highest profile arrests were as a result of
our investigators developing solid leads and forwarding them for arrest to other
USMS Task Forces. For example, the arrest of Delaware State Police homicide
suspect Jamie Dontae Ringgold by Deputy U.S. Marshals in Florida (after 10
months on the run) came as a result of months of investigation by Delaware Task
Force members. A lot of these guys (fugitives) think that once they leave
Delaware, nobody’s looking for them. That couldn’t be farther from the truth.
I am extremely fortunate to have a crew here that won’t stop turning every stone
until the fugitive is brought to justice.” |