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Little Rock, AR – Following a five-year tradition
of success in its national efforts, the U.S.
Marshals Service locally conducted another
successful Operation FALCON – Federal and Local Cops
Organized Nationally. Led by the U.S. Marshals,
Operation FALCON 2009 netted 250 arrests within the
Eastern District of Arkansas in June.
Operation FALCON – Little Rock combined the
collective efforts of multiple law enforcement
agencies in one of the area’s largest-ever fugitive
initiatives, focusing on capturing individuals
wanted on felony charges including sexual predators
and fugitives wanted for crimes of violence. Over
the course of the 30-day operation, Deputy U.S.
Marshals, teamed with federal, state and local law
enforcement partners, arrested 250 fugitives,
including four sex offenders and cleared 300
warrants in the central Arkansas area.
“The goal of Operation
FALCON is simple – to make communities safer,” said
John F. Clark, Director of the U.S. Marshals
Service. “Each time we wrap up a FALCON operation in
any location, there are less dangerous individuals –
and fewer threats to the community – than before we
arrived there. That is very gratifying.”
Operation FALCON – Little Rock consisted of teams of
federal, state and local law enforcement officers,
making up separate arrest teams working throughout
the operation. Each participating local officer was
sworn in as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal
immediately prior to the start of this operation.
This special authority empowers them to cross
traditional lines of jurisdiction to track down and
arrest targeted fugitives throughout the operation.
“Operation FALCON is
an example of the cooperative spirit between local,
state, and federal law enforcement agencies,” said
U.S. Marshal J.R. Howard for the Eastern District of
Arkansas. “Operation FALCON combines each of our
resources and expands our territories to send a
message to fugitives – and that message is – you can
not hide, you will be arrested. This is our fifth
year for operation FALCON and our most successful –
where 250 fugitives were arrested in the central
Arkansas area. The dedication and hard work of the
local, state and federal officers assigned to
operation FALCON ensure that the citizens of central
Arkansas have safer communities to live and work
in.”
Agencies contributing to Operation FALCON – Little
Rock were the Arkansas State Police, Faulkner County
Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office,
Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, Saline County
Sheriff’s Office, Conway Police Department, North
Little Rock Police Department, Pine Bluff Police
Department, U.S. Secret Service and Office of
Investigations with the Social Security
Administration.
Since its inception in 2005, Operation FALCON has
made more than 91,086 arrests and cleared more than
117,874 warrants. It continues to be the largest and
most successful fugitive apprehension effort in U.S.
Marshals history.
For more information on Operation FALCON
2009, please
visit
www.usmarshals.gov/falcon09/index.html.
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America’s Oldest Federal Law Enforcement Agency
www.usmarshals.gov
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