On Fridays the sheriff’s office calls out fugitives

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Wanted posters are used to inform the public about fugitives whom law enforcement wants to apprehend.

The FBI has used this tactic since the 1930s.

The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office has used this same tactic for more than 15 years, but instead calls it “Friday’s Fugitive”.

“It was kind of a public involvement thing; we had some outstanding warrants. And oftentimes looking for some assistance to get some information to help get these folks caught and help get their legal matter sorted out,” said Sergeant Jeromey Smith, warrants division, PCSO.

When choosing the person for the poster it’s based on a couple of factors such as the fugitive being a felon, and oftentimes if they have been arrested before.

“It’s really kind of based on the folks that we’ve run out of information on and need help tracking. We just don’t have any information or very limited information. And we’re relying on the public, oftentimes relatives or friends will provide little tips or notify the person. Sometimes these people don’t even know they have warrants,” said Smith.

The wanted poster showcases a mugshot, the charges the person possesses, and basic information such as name, race, height, weight, and age.

Although there isn’t an exact statistic saying how effective these posts have been, Smith stated that about 1/3 of the people posted are caught thanks to this process.

“I would say it’s definitely been effective with public involvement, and the engagement of the community. We have a lot of people that follow the ‘Friday Fugitive’ and are looking for them,” said Smith.

To see who is chosen for “Friday’s Fugitive” you can click here.

If you have any information on a wanted fugitive, you can call the sheriff’s office at 605-394-6117.

Copyright 2023 KOTA. All rights reserved.