KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The U.S. Marshals Service conducted a recent crackdown on violent crime that netted 833 arrests, including 62 in Kansas City.
It was part of a nationwide effort dubbed Operation North Star 2, a 30-day effort focused on the top 10 U.S. cities with the highest homicide rates per capita.
Although much of the work done in this operation coincides with day to day operations for the U.S. Marshals Service, more resources were made available to assist deputies.
There was an added emphasis on fugitives wanted for the most serious, violent, and harmful offenses including homicide, forcible sexual assault, robbery, or aggravated assault, with armed suspects being at the top of their list.
"So, we will go through our process — our intelligence process and identify those folks that have warrants right now that we believe will have firearms or have previously carried firearms," said Scott Seeling, acting U.S. Marshall. "Because we believe those are the people that are the most violent in the community and if we can get those people into the system that will have an impact on violent crime in Kansas City."
Other cities participating in Operation North Star 2 included Albuquerque, New Mexico; Buffalo, New York; Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Jackson, Mississippi; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Oakland, California, and Puerto Rico.
Among the 833 suspects taken into custody nationwide, that includes 95 people wanted for homicide, 70 for robbery, 98 for weapons offenses, 200 for assault and 68 for sexual assault.
Investigators also say they confiscated 181 firearms, more than $229,000 in currency and more than 160 kilograms of illegal narcotics.
The KSHB 41 I Team was invited to shadow the Marshals Service for a day as part of this operation. Stay tuned for our special report giving you a look behind the scenes in the coming weeks.
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