Record 107 Arrests in Violent Offender Warrant Suppression Operation

 Upper Marlboro, MD… Upper Marlboro, MD…The Warrant/Fugitive Division reported that in one of the final weekends of the Violent Offender Warrant Suppression (VOWS) operation, it made a record 107 arrests to break an earlier record set in mid-July when the operation began. The sweep took place late Sunday night September 22 into Monday morning, September 23; the 107 arrests closed 120 warrants.  The overnight sweep is the continuation of the VOWS initiative, a multi-week operation led by the Office of the Sheriff and funded by a grant from the Governor’s Office on Crime Control and Prevention (GOCCP).

The most recent sweep included 16 teams comprised of more than 75 law enforcement officers, including Sheriff’s Deputies leading each team, Maryland State Police (MSP), County Police (PGPD), Maryland Park Police, along with the Capitol Heights and Colmar Manor Police Departments. 

The recent sweep brings the operation totals to over 900 warrants disposed of.  The highest numbers of arrests continues to be Assaults at 184, followed by Theft at 61, CDS (drugs) at 46, and Burglary at 25. In addition, the number of detainers for the operation to date is up to 133 for individuals who were located incarcerated in another jurisdiction. The Detainer asks the other jurisdiction to detain the individual pending extradition by the Sheriff’s Office.

“The results are outstanding and must be attributed to the hard work of our deputies and our partner agency officers, and the critical investigative prep-work done by our investigators on all the warrants to prepare for the operation.” said Captain William Mints, Assistant Bureau Chief of Field Operations. 

Sheriff High spoke with the teams at roll call before they left Sheriff’s Headquarters with over 345 warrants to be served at addresses all over the County.  “This operation is focused on serving the warrants that are our first priority in keeping the community safe – the most violent offenders,” said Sheriff High. “I urge extra caution because these offenders are known to be violent, they represent the greatest danger to our community and they don’t want to be caught.”

Sheriff High went on to say that the partnership with GOCCP and with fellow law enforcement partners provides the resources and the manpower capacity that made these results possible. “Together, they give us the ability to cover more geography, knock on more doors and make more arrests.”

In addition to the 107 physical arrests made during the operation, 42 other wanted suspects turned themselves in after Deputies attempted service. These subjects became aware that they were being sought by Sheriff’s Deputies and subsequently turned themselves in.

For more information contact the Communications and Public Affairs Division at 301-780-7354.
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