By Staff
LANSING – State and local law enforcement officers arrested 185 fugitives during the latest Project S.A.F.E. (Statewide Apprehension of Fugitives Effort) Street sweep, conducted September 11 through 13.
The initiative is an ongoing effort of the Granholm Administration aimed at arresting violent parole absconders.
"Our message is clear – we will do all we can so violent probationers and parolees do not threaten the safety of our children, our families or our communities," Governor Jennifer M. Granholm said.
"Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement agencies, these offenders are off the street."
Granholm established Project S.A.F.E. Street in 2003, in an effort to improve public safety in Michigan by encouraging the state's law enforcement agencies to work together.
The initiative is a joint effort among the Michigan State Police (MSP), the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) and local and federal law enforcement to arrest violent offenders known to be in violation of parole and who pose a threat to public safety.
Of the 185 arrests, 118 were parole violators and 67 were parole absconders.
The sweep included parole violations for assault; aggravated stalking; armed robbery; breaking and entering; extortion; flee and elude; home invasion; larceny; narcotics possession; and retail fraud. In addition to the arrests, officers recovered a stolen vehicle and seized over 17 grams of cocaine and five guns.
"In our daily activities and through cooperative statewide operations like Project S.A.F.E. Street, the Michigan State Police remains relentless in our efforts to keep Michigan families safe by working to remove dangerous offenders from the streets," said Colonel Peter C. Munoz, Director of the MSP.
The MSP and MDOC organized the September sweep with assistance from 19 county sheriff's departments, 37 local police departments, the U.S. Marshals Service, and law enforcement agencies in Arizona, Indiana and Ohio.
"We make every effort to give offenders the tools to become law-abiding, productive members of society," said MDOC Director Patricia L. Caruso.
"However, if they fail to follow the conditions of their supervision, we will come together with our partners in law enforcement to target these offenders. We will find them and we'll return them to custody."
A total of 3,037 fugitives have been arrested since Project S.A.F.E. Street began in March 2003.