REGAINING MOMENTUM - SUMMER 2022
Fugitive Apprehension Unit BEYOND THE CALL
The Georgia Department of Corrections ( GDC ) Fugitive and Apprehension Unit ’ s mission is to re-capture escapees and absconded offenders from GDC facilities , to include State Prisons , Transitional Centers , and County Prison Camps . The Special Agents assigned to this unit are detached to the United States Marshal Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force ( SERFTF ) in each Federal District in Georgia . These agents are federally deputized and possess both Federal and State Law Enforcement Authority . In addition to recapturing escapees from GDC Facilities , these agents also participate in the arrest of wanted violent felons and sex offenders across the state and the country .
Currently , there are two GDC Special Agents participating in Operation North Star in New Orleans , Louisiana . Operation North Star is led by the United States Marshal Service ( USMS ). The main focal point of this operation is to precipitate a reduction of serious violent crime in the ten cities that currently show a large increase in recent homicides and shootings . Operation North Star will concentrate on fugitives with arrest warrants , wanted for the most serious , violent , and harmful offenses , to include : 1 ) homicide , 2 ) forcible sexual assault , 3 ) robbery , or 4 ) aggravated assault . Within this pool of offenses , USMS will prioritize those with signals of firearm use in their crime , and those with a larger number of risk factors for violence .
In May 2022 , GDC Special Agents participated in Operation Washout in the Athens , Georgia area and surrounding counties in an effort to fight violent crime . The operation netted 49 arrests , including 12 documented gang members including both Gangster Disciples and Ghostface Gangsters .
In August 2021 , GDC Special Agents participated in Operation Washout in Columbus , Georgia . This successful operation netted 57 arrests and clearing 128 felony warrants . The targets for this operation included gang members and violent offenders .
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