Published: July 02, 2008 04:39 pm            

FALCON operation strikes local fugitives

Danie M. Huffman

wdreporter2@yahoo.com

Fugitives soon found out they can’t hide from law enforcement.

The United States Marshals Service held a press conference Wednesday in Grand Prairie, releasing area and nationwide arrest statistics for the Northern District of Texas 2008 Operation FALCON (Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally).

The recent operation, which began four years ago, was carried out to round up bad guys on the run.

The initiative is carried out during the month of June across the country.

According to Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler, the Weatherford-Parker County Fugitive Unit, who are also members of the U.S. Marshal’s Dallas/Fort Worth Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team, participated in the northern Texas roundup, held June 24-30.

A press release stated following the success of previous national and local FALCON initiatives, the Marshal’s Service conducted the operation utilizing teams of Deputy United States Marshals with federal, local and state law enforcement partners to make hundreds of arrests.

More than 400 fugitives were taken into custody and nearly 600 felony warrants from North Texas were taken care of during the operation.

Included in the arrests were 53 sex offenders, nine documented gang members and five homicide suspects.

More than 160 law enforcement officers from 45 agencies were used in the week-long initiative.

According to the Marshal’s Service, FALCON netted 18,409 fugitives were captured nationwide in the month-long effort.

Local statistics show the Weatherford-Parker County Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team participated in 43 warrants executed along with the arrests of 32 wanted fugitives.

Included in those statistics and netting from local operations resulted in arrests in Las Vegas Nevada, Montgomery County Kentucky and Shelby County, Tenn.

Local investigators apprehended most of their assigned offenders residing primarily in Parker, Wise, Hood and western Tarrant counties.

According to information made available by the U.S. Marshal’s Service, this year’s FALCON operation was the most successful initiative in the Northern District to date.

Fowler wished to thank the U.S. Marshal’s Service for their efforts and cooperation and commended all those agencies who participated.

He said 29 warrants were served locally by deputies and officers with the sheriff’s office and police department, who joined with U.S. Marshals.

“Obviously it affects our case load by having theses warrants executed and getting theses fugitives into custody,” Fowler said. “Since linking with the DFW Task Force, our arrests numbers have increased tremendously and continue to do so. Our local agencies and officers worked hard on making the operation a success.”

For more information on FALCON go to www.usmarshals.gov/falcon08.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.