This week, El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal announced the formation of the Fugitive Impact Team (FIT) within the Law Enforcement Operations Division.
The mission of the Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Impact Team is to reduce crime and strengthen investigations through the proactive pursuit of El Paso County’s highly disruptive criminal element.
The FIT unit was created to enhance the safety and quality of life for all citizens of El Paso County. Recognizing criminal offenders and fugitives do not operate within jurisdictional boundaries, the team will focus on pursuing offenders wherever they operate within greater El Paso County.
This specialized unit will serve as a support resource for EPSO personnel and regional law enforcement partners by assisting with high-risk apprehensions, the targeted apprehension of wanted persons, and the identification of prolific offenders. Recognizing there is a disproportionate amount of crime committed by a small minority of repeat, often violent, and highly disruptive offenders, this unit will focus enforcement efforts on those individuals who pose the greatest threat to public safety in the Pikes Peak region.
In addition, the Fugitive Impact Team will assist with intelligence gathering and surveillance operations in support of broader public safety objectives.
Law enforcement agencies throughout Colorado continue to face increasing challenges as repeat and often dangerous offenders cycle through the criminal justice system and quickly return to criminal activity. Policies and laws which favor reduced accountability for offenders have too often placed communities, victims, and law enforcement at a disadvantage. The formation of the Fugitive Impact Team is intended to address those challenges through focused enforcement efforts targeting individuals who repeatedly victimize the community.
“The creation of the Fugitive Impact Team reflects our continued commitment to protecting the residents of El Paso County and strengthening regional public safety efforts,” said El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal. “Far too often, we see repeat offenders released back into our communities only to commit additional crimes. Colorado’s current laws and policies have increasingly favored criminal offenders over the safety and security of law-abiding citizens. Our deputies are left dealing with the consequences while victims continue to suffer. This team will proactively target offenders who threaten our communities, work to remove them from our neighborhoods, and hold them accountable. I am confident the work of FIT will have a tangible impact on reducing crime throughout the Pikes Peak region.”
The formation of the Fugitive Impact Team aligns directly with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Strategic Plan and its ongoing commitment to proactive law enforcement and community safety.