It's no secret that if you are a wanted fugitive trying to evade capture, the last thing you want to see is your face on a wanted poster. The U.S. Marshals Service has made its name on the belief that no guilty man shall go free, and in the Northern District of Ohio that is exactly the goal of the Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force.U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott currently partners with WKYC Channel 3 News, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, and Clear Channel Media to seek wanted criminals in its Fugitive of the Week program. To date, almost 88% of those profiled have been caught. His new idea is to bring mug shots of the most wanted criminals in your area directly to your cell phone.
Now, that surveillance becomes even more wide-spread with the advent of weekly Fugitive Alert information on local cell phones with WKYC Channel 3 in Cleveland.
"This is just one more way that we can educate the community and potentially save lives," U.S. Marshal Peter Elliott states. "Our Task Force takes great pride in bringing criminals to justice. The community has responded to the Fugitive of the Week program and we know getting this information to even more people will be a valuable asset to law enforcement. At the end of the day, it's making the streets a safer place for everyone."
"This is a great new tool for our local law enforcement officers in Ohio who will have quick easy access right on their cell phones on those that are our most wanted fugitives" It's not being done anywhere else". State President Nick Dimarco of the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police.
Each Monday, a Fugitive of the Week alert will automatically be sent out to the cell phones of all viewers who have signed up for the service announcement. Those interested may go to wkyc.com and register to receive free text messages or e-mails of wanted fugitives. And, as always, anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of a known fugitive is encouraged to contact the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at: 1-866-4-WANTED. Callers may remain anonymous, and those who have taken the time and courage to relay their information have been compensated with thousands of dollars of reward money.
The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force - Cleveland Division is composed of the following federal, state and local agencies: U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Cleveland Police Department, Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Police Department, Euclid Police Department, Lakewood Police Department, Linndale Village Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Westlake Police Department, Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service and the U.S. Secret Service.
Click to sign up for Fugitive of the Week text alerts