Fugitive Unit Expanding Operations

A six-year-old Newark Police Department unit responsible for catching people with outstanding criminal or bench warrants is expanding its hours of operation, the department has announced.

The Fugitive Apprehension Section, which previously operated only in the mornings, will now have hours at night, Mayor Cory Booker’s office said in a statement. The unit, which has made 8,500 arrests since its formation in November 2006, comprises officers and resources from the US Marshals, the State Police, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the New Jersey Parole Board and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office. 

 
“Since my administration took office, public safety has been one of our highest priorities and a key strategy to reduce violent crime has been the creation of the Fugitive Apprehension Section. Since being formed, this unit has been responsible for the recovery of large quantities of firearms and narcotics, and made more than 8,000 arrests of wanted fugitives, many of whom were high profile criminals,” said Mayor Booker. “I commend Police Director [Samuel] DeMaio and Police Chief [Sheilah] Coley on their expansion of this highly effective program with the implementation of the Enhanced Warrant Enforcement Operation.”

Police officers are being re-assigned to the unit without depleting any of the department’s resources from patrol in its precincts, Booker’s office stated. The additional manpower will enable the section to conduct twice as many fugitive operations, maximizing its effectiveness and productivity.
 
 
Last year the Fugitive Apprehension Section arrested more than 1,300 wanted suspects including five wanted for murder, 24 wanted for shootings, 47 wanted for robbery, 16 for carjacking, and 77 parole violators. The section recovered nearly two dozen firearms, more than $40,000 worth of narcotics, and successfully closed more than 97 percent of its investigations (210 of 216 investigations). This year the fugitive section has already made 693 arrests and maintains a 96 percent closeout rate on its investigations (51 of 53 investigations). The Enhanced Warrant Operation will cover the evening hours and target high crime areas and suspects identified as wanted through police investigative units and fugitive databases.
 
 
Since the program began police have received more than 4,100 calls and paid out more than $84,000 in reward money resulting in more than 260 arrests, the recovery of 106 guns, and the confiscation of more than $250,000 worth of illegal narcotics.
 
 
Anyone with information about any crime in Newark is urged to call the Department’s 24-hour “Crime Stoppers” anonymous tip line at 877 NWK-TIPS (877 695-8477) or 877 NWK-GUNS (877 695-4867). Tips leading to arrests and indictments could result in cash rewards of up to $2,000 to the person who provides the information or $1,000 per gun for calls into the gun hotline.