Donnelly calls for special unit in Highway Patrol to apprehend fugitives

Unit would assist local law enforcement

ST. LOUIS - In response to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch investigation, State Rep. Margaret Donnelly (D-Richmond Heights) and candidate for Missouri Attorney General called today for the establishment of a special unit within the Missouri State Highway Patrol to assist local law enforcement in tracking down and apprehending fugitive felons.

"It is unacceptable to me to have known dangerous felons loose in our communities," said Donnelly.  "I am calling today for a special unit of the Highway Patrol to coordinate an effort with local law enforcement to track down and lock up fugitives."

The investigation conducted by the Post-Dispatch found that Missouri spends about $2 million annually reimbursing local law enforcement for apprehending fugitives out of state, but agencies still do not retrieve 10 percent of violent, sexual or gun related felons.  Many of these felons are released after minor incidents back onto our streets and into our communities.

The same investigation found that more than a third of all felony warrants nationally are not entered into the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database. While Missouri has a statewide database that forwards all felony warrants to the NCIC, local law enforcement decides whether or not to issue a warrant for a felon and what warrants they will send to the state database.

Representative Donnelly also said that she would seek legislation that requires warrants to be issued for all fugitive felons and that all felony warrants be entered into the statewide database and sent on to the FBI's national database.

"We must make sure that all law enforcement has the right information needed to get dangerous criminals off the street," Donnelly finished.

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