Lauren Moye, FISM News
In June of 2019, an Arkansas mom and her small child were murdered in their home by a drunken ex-boyfriend. In September 2017, another man skipped town while out on bond rather than face his jail sentence for shooting his girlfriend. In May 2021, a Florida man violently assaulted a woman and then later attempted to kill her. The suspects in all three murders were apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service last year, along with over 6,000 homicide suspects.
Yesterday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the Marshals arrest stats for the fiscal year 2021, showing a marked improvement in efficiency and arrests over the year before. According to the DOJ, the Marshals averaged 337 arrests per day in 2021 compared to 310 arrests made in the fiscal year 2020. These numbers are calculated based on the 250 operational days the Marshals keep.
“At a time of unprecedented challenges posed by a global pandemic, the U.S. Marshals continue to deliver on their mission, tracking down and arresting more than 84,000 fugitives. The Department of Justice, through our law enforcement components like the U.S. Marshals Service, will continue to prioritize our efforts to reduce violent crime and keep our neighborhoods safe,” said Lisa Monaco, the DOJ deputy attorney general.
The U.S. Marshals primarily work with state, local, tribal, and territorial police to locate and then arrest suspects. They deal with violent crime, sex offender criminal violations, and trafficking cases. They are also tasked with security in federal courtrooms and with protecting federal judges.
Last year, the Marshals were exemplary in their work:
The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) arrested 84,247 fugitives (27,399 on federal and 56,848 on state and local warrants) in Fiscal Year 2021. On average, the agency arrested 337 fugitives per day (based on 250 operational days): https://t.co/xwytsuGLhW
— U.S. Marshals (@USMarshalsHQ) January 3, 2022
In 2020, the Marshals reported on their annual factsheet that they apprehended a total of 77,469 fugitives with 24,300 of these arrests made on federal warrants. This makes for nearly a 9% increase in arrest numbers for 2021.
Homicides and sex offender arrests saw the most notable increase between years. In 2020, the Marshals reported apprehending 5,040 murder suspects compared to the 6,119 arrests for 2021. 10,510 sex offenders were taken into custody this year compared to 9,589 in the previous year.
U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald Davis thanked the marshals for their commitment. He said, “Their steadfast courage and selfless service in bringing fugitives to justice and in protecting our judicial process help to make all of our communities safer and is critical in preserving our democracy.”
In addition to their other work, the Marshals tracked down one of the 15 most wanted fugitives in 2021. On Oct. 6, they apprehended Jory Worthen for the 2019 double homicide of a Camden, Arkansas mom and her 4-year-old son. Worthen pleaded guilty to both counts of first-degree murder. He accepted a plea deal that included two life sentences without the option of parole.
The Marshals also recovered 950 “critically missing children” last year, which makes for a 145% increase over this 2020 stat.