NCJ Number
184172
Journal
The Journal Volume: 6 Issue: 3 Dated: Summer 2000 Pages: 4-9
Date Published
2000
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes the development, administration, design, and outcome of the Fugitive Task Force (FTF) in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Abstract
The FBI and the Utah State Department of Corrections formed the task force; and within a few months, the number of participating local law enforcement agencies increased from two to five. The FTF approached fugitive apprehension under a memorandum of understanding between participating agencies. The FTF was designed to take advantage of the combined resources of several agencies and to target fugitives most likely to be involved in ongoing criminal behavior. Agencies established the FTF as an umbrella fugitive operation to supplement existing individual agency efforts by providing liaison between intelligence resources, thus expanding existing investigations. A year after its inception the FTF had arrested over 700 fugitives in Utah, throughout the United States, and across international borders. Administrative oversight of the FTF remained the responsibility of one FBI supervisory special agent, who dealt directly with the heads of the participating agencies. Functionally, unit members worked on their own department's pool of arrest warrants, prioritized cases, and opened investigations within the task force. Below this level of supervision, FTF members maintained individual responsibility for specific duties, including gathering intelligence information, tactical planning, operating computer systems, conducting surveillances, and making interstate contacts, as well as maintaining investigative caseloads. All members were investigators who held no other formal rank in their departments. 2 footnotes