Facts on the Program
- What is the purpose
of the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" Program?
- How many fugitives
have been captured due to public assistance?
- When was the Program
started?
- How did the Program
originate?
- Who actually decides
which fugitives go on the list?
- On what criteria
is that decision made?
- Are members of
the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list ranked?
- When are fugitives
removed from the list?
- How many women
have been on the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list?
- Has the makeup
of the fugitives on the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives"
list changed over the years?
- How many fugitives
have been on the list?
- Did the FBI ever
have a "Ten Most Wanted Public Enemies" Program before
the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" Program began?
- What commercial
uses of the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" are allowed.
- How is the FBI
using television and radio to help capture fugitives?
- What is the purpose
of the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" Program?
It is designed to publicize particularly
dangerous fugitives who might not otherwise merit nationwide attention.
The FBI values and recognizes the need for public assistance in tracking
fugitives.
- How many fugitives
have been captured due to public assistance?
One hundred and fifty-one of the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" have been apprehended due to public assistance.
- When was the Program
started?
It was founded on March 14, 1950, by
the FBI in association with the Nation's news media.
- How did the Program
originate?
A newspaper story in late 1949 led to
the creation of the list. A reporter for the International News Service
(the predecessor of the United Press International) asked the FBI
for the names and descriptions of the "toughest guys" the
FBI would like to capture. The story had so much appeal and generated
so much positive publicity that former Director J. Edgar Hoover implemented
the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" Program.
- Who actually decides
which fugitives go on the list?
The Criminal Investigative Division
(CID) at FBI Headquarters calls upon all 56 Field Offices to submit
candidates for the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list.
The nominees received are reviewed by Special Agents in the CID and
the Office of Public Affairs. The selection of the "proposed"
candidate(s) is forwarded to the Assistant Director of the CID for
his/her approval and then to the FBI's Deputy Director for final approval.
- On what criteria is
that decision made?
- First, the individual must have a
lengthy record of committing serious crimes and/or be considered
a particularly dangerous menace to society due to current criminal
charges.
- Second, it must be believed that
the nationwide publicity afforded by the Program can be of assistance
in apprehending the fugitive, who, in turn, should not already be
notorious due to other publicity.
- Are members of the
"Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list ranked?
No.
- When are fugitives
removed from the list?
"Ten Most Wanted Fugitives"
are only removed from the list when they meet one of the following
conditions.
- First, they are captured.
- Second, the charges are dropped against
them--this is not an FBI decision.
- Third, they no longer fit "Ten
Most Wanted Fugitives" criteria.
In the six cases where fugitives were
removed for the third reason, it was determined that each fugitive
was no longer considered to be a "particularly dangerous menace
to society." When a fugitive is removed from the list, another
is added to take his or her place.
- How many women have
been on the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list?
Eight. The first, Ruth Eisemann-Schier,
was added in 1968 for kidnapping, extortion, and other crimes.
- Has the makeup of
the fugitives on the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list changed
over the years?
Most definitely, just as the priorities
of the FBI have changed. Through the 1950s, the list was primarily
comprised of bank robbers, burglars, and car thieves. Once into the
radical 1960s, the list reflected the revolutionaries of the times
with destruction of Government property, sabotage, and kidnapping
dominating the list. During the 1970s, with the FBI's concentration
on organized crime and terrorism, the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives"
included many fugitives with organized crime ties or links to terrorist
groups. This emphasis, along with serial murders and drug-related
crimes, continues today.
- How many fugitives
have been on the list?
As of November 29, 2008, there have been 491 fugitives on the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list. Four hundred and sixty individuals appearing on the list have been located, 151 of them as a direct result of citizen cooperation.
- Did the FBI ever
have a "Ten Most Wanted Public Enemies" Program before the
"Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" Program began?
- No. The FBI and the U.S. Department
of Justice made use of the term, "public enemy," in the
1930s, an era in which the term was synonymous with "fugitive"
or "notorious gangster." It was used in speeches, books,
press releases, and internal memoranda. However, neither the FBI
nor the Department had any type of publicity program which concentrated
on a "public enemy" number 1, number 2, etc.
- The origin of the name, "public
enemy," has been traced to the Chicago Crime Commission, which
invented the term around 1930. "Public Enemy" caught national
attention, and the Commission maintained lists of its "public
enemies" which were released through the news media. In addition,
the term was popularized by a 1931 movie, "The Public Enemy,"
in which James Cagney portrayed a gangster.
- Common usage of the name, "public
enemy," died out during the World War II period.
- What commercial uses
of the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" are allowed?
None. Commercial use is strictly prohibited.
Descriptions and pictures of the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives"
are provided for the sole purpose of eliciting public assistance in
tracking fugitives.
- How is the FBI using
television and radio to help capture fugitives?
Currently, the FBI is using television
and radio to attract public attention to the "Ten Most Wanted
Fugitives," as well as other fugitives. A network is airing a
television program on FBI fugitives, and the ABC Radio Network hosts
"FBI, This Week."
Since early 1988, the FBI has been publicizing
fugitives on the television program, "America's Most Wanted,"
now known as "America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back,"
seen on the Fox Television Network. FBI fugitives have been profiled
and captured as a direct result of the broadcasts. Through recreations
of crimes, as well as photographs and videotapes of the actual criminals
involved, "America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back" seeks
to solve crimes and get dangerous criminals off the street. A nationwide
toll-free hotline has been set up to allow viewers with information
about any of the criminals to provide anonymous tips to law enforcement
officials involved in the investigations.
"America's Most Wanted: America
Fights Back" is hosted by John Walsh, a nationally known advocate
for missing and exploited children, whose efforts have resulted in
numerous laws protecting missing youngsters. The story of how he and
his wife, Reve, turned their grief over the tragic 1981 abduction
and death of their son, Adam, into hope for others was dramatized
in two NBC television films, "Adam" (1983) and its sequel,
"Adam: His Song Continues" (1986).
As host of "America's Most Wanted:
America Fights Back," Mr. Walsh narrates each criminal case presented
and gives updates on cases shown on previous programs. The show's
flexible format permits covering breaking stories and new developments
in major cases. It also allows law enforcement officials to appeal
for leads in serious crimes which have occurred during the previous
week.
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