http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0419phxfugitives0419.html

U.S. Marshals to aid police in apprehending fugitives

Judi Villa The Arizona Republic Apr. 19, 2006 12:00 AM

Phoenix police are making plans to combine their fugitive-apprehension detail with the U.S. Marshals Service.

The merger, which still has to be formally signed by both agencies, would bolster police efforts to target and apprehend violent and repeat offenders by increasing personnel and providing Phoenix officers access to more sophisticated electronic monitoring technology.

Ten detectives and a sergeant on Phoenix's Fugitive Apprehension and Investigation Detail would move into a federal building with the U.S. Marshals, forming a task force that would "combine our efforts to arrest fugitives in the city of Phoenix," said police Lt. Frank Milstead.

The added resources and overtime funding from the marshals would give Phoenix police an "expanded ability" to do "things we haven't been able to do before," Milstead said.

Under the plan, Phoenix's officers would be sworn in as Deputy U.S. Marshals, giving them jurisdiction outside of the city and even in Mexico, where there is a foreign field office.

Last year, Phoenix's team arrested 575 fugitives; U.S. marshals arrested 1,687.

Currently, more than 40,000 people are wanted on felony warrants in Maricopa County.

"It's really providing a better sharing of information," said Phoenix police Cmdr. Rob Handy. "They are looking for the same people we are. They can help us look for our guys, and we can help them look for theirs."

The plan was presented Tuesday to the Phoenix City Council's Public Safety and Technology Subcommittee.

"It's a force multiplier is what it really is," said Council member Dave Siebert, who is chairman of the subcommittee. "We're all in the same boat together trying to arrest the same bad guys."

The merger appears to be a step toward creating a regional fugitive-apprehension task force in the Valley, similar to the Los Angeles Regional Task Force in California, which currently funds the Marshals' Phoenix-based efforts.

The Phoenix task force already includes eight deputy marshals, along with officers from the state Department of Public Safety, the Maricopa County Adult Probation Department, and the U.S. Postal Service. With Phoenix coming onboard, Chandler and Mesa police also have committed a detective each.

"We think this is a big step for us to help put more people who are committing crimes in jail," Handy said.