GRAND RAPIDS – A 6-week long operation led by the U.S. Marshals has led to the arrest of more than 100 fugitives, part of a nationwide initiative to reduce violent crime.
Below is a media release from the U.S. Marshals Service of West Michigan:
More than 100 fugitives, gang members, sex offenders and violent criminals are off the streets in West Michigan as a result of Operation Violence Reduction7 (VR7), a six-week long U.S. Marshals-led enforcement initiative which resulted in more than 7,100 arrests.
“The purpose of Operation VR7 was to protect communities in West Michigan by removing the most dangerous criminals from the streets,” said U.S. Marshal Peter Munoz. “The operation utilized a targeted strategic approach to identify and arrest the most violent wanted felony fugitives quickly in order to see the greatest impact on public safety.”
The narrow search criteria for cases adopted and investigated during Operation VR7 included fugitives wanted for murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, robbery, aggravated assault, arson, abduction/kidnapping, sexual assault and child molestation. Additionally, VR7 investigators focused on apprehending fugitives wanted for narcotics, weapons offenses, and assault/battery who also had three or more prior felony arrests for violent crimes. Gang members and sex offenders were classified as high-priority for apprehension.
The U.S. Marshals strategically focused its approach through the use of the agency’s mulch-jurisdictional investigative authority and its fugitive task force networks at the regional and local level. The local Operation was concentrated in Kent, Muskegon and Ingham Counties and provided real-time, ground level intelligence on criminal activity.
Several local departments contributed additional officers to the Task Force for the six-week Operation. Those additional officers and the full-time deputies and officers on the Task Force formed a task for that consisted of 25 federal, state, and local officers.
“The cooperation from all the local agencies resulted in over 100 violent offenders being arrested in just six weeks,” said Marshal Munoz. “The cooperation and participation from our state and local partners are critical to the success of our Task Force and operations such as VR7.”
Nationwide, between March 2 and April 10, Operation VR7 resulted in 7,127 arrests, including 750 gang members, and the seizure of 383 firearms and more than 69 kilograms of illegal narcotics. Individual arrests included 519 for homicide; 922 for weapons; 1,888 for assault; 583 for sexual assault; 1,093 for robbery; and 2,654 for narcotics.
“By taking these dangerous fugitives off the streets, we hope individuals feel safer in their communities and neighborhoods,” said Munoz. “Many of these fugitives we arrested were repeat offenders, with significant criminal histories. The average nationwide was three prior convictions for violent crimes.”
The concept behind inter-agency law enforcement operations such as Operation VR7 evolved largely from regional and district task forces. Historically local, state and federal agencies have worked closely together to find and apprehend dangerous fugitives. The U.S. Marshals adopted inter-agency teamwork in the early 1980s, when they combined their resources and expertise in fugitive apprehension with local law enforcement to capitalize on their knowledge and unique insight of the street level crime and violence, and the offenders responsible for it. Operation VR7 continues this tradition.
“The U.S. Marshals Service supports the criminal justice system by apprehending violent felony fugitives, with our law enforcement partners at all levels of government,” said Marshals Director Stacia Hylton. “The success of Operation VR7 affirmed the commitment of the men and women who are sworn to protect and serve. I am proud to serve with the team as they make our communities safer.”
The Marshals Fugitive Task Force in West Michigan has officers from the Grand Rapids Police Department, the Michigan State Police, the Michigan Department of Corrections, the Ingham County Sheriff’s Department, and the Michigan State University Police Department. The Kent County Sheriff’s Department, the Muskegon Police Department, the Wyoming Police Department, and the Michigan Department of Corrections provided additional officers for the Operation.
To see photos of the operation, click here.
