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Warrant task force nets 123 arrests since May
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A state program created two months ago to track down people with outstanding felony warrants appears to be working.
In May, the Arizona Department of Public Safety created a multiagency, statewide plan known as the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team. A priority is finding felons associated with illegal immigration operations.
Since May 23, members of VCAT, as the program is known, have arrested 123 fugitives. Of those, 45 arrests were from the East Valley, including seven sex offenders.
DPS Lt. Pete Borquez, the VCAT commander, said the program is proving successful. While DPS handled warrants before the creation of VCAT, the program authorized by Gov. Janet Napolitano brings law enforcement capabilities to a higher level, he said.
"These are specially trained people to seek out these type of offenders," Borquez said. "We have a second squad with full-time SWAT team members. If SWAT members are pulled away for other duties, the other team can pick up working on this plan with no problem."
Borquez wouldn't say what the ongoing special training consists of or how many individuals are in the program. He said most arrests made were for narcotics-related crimes, sex offenses, aggravated assaults and gang activity.
Borquez said about 20 agencies are on board with the program, including the Phoenix Police Department, Pinal County Sheriff's Department, Arizona Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole Division of Maricopa County and the U.S. Marshals Service.
DPS spokesman Bart Graves said that while members of the East Valley Police Chiefs Association aren't a part of VCAT, he believes they are planning to meet next month to discuss joining the program. Chandler police Chief Sherry Kiyler, chairwoman of the East Valley group, was not available for comment Wednesday.
Borquez said before VCAT, many law enforcement agencies duplicated their efforts by going after the same fugitives. He thinks sharing information will keep multiple agencies from wasting time and resources.
"We did warrant service before, but the idea behind this was to get a greater number of people working on fugitive apprehension and sex offenders," Borquez said. "We have stepped up the effort with added manpower we didn't have available to us before."
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