Nearly 50 fugitives who are facing gun-related or violent charges in D.C. were taken into custody this week under a multiagency operation.
“Operation Trident” also recovered three guns during the arrests, which focused on people who were violent offenders with outstanding warrants, according to a D.C. police news release. Many of those offenders had failed to comply with the terms of their supervised release.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the 48 arrests alongside law enforcement on Thursday afternoon.
She said many of those arrested had failed to report for supervision.
“My hope is that they will be in compliance,” Bowser said. “That will be up a judge whether they remain in custody. Hopefully it means that they will be made to reengage with supervision.”
The fugitives targeted by the effort had charges against them relating to narcotics, guns, violence, gang activity or sexual violence, police said.
The operation was part of an effort with D.C. police, the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI, as well as the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency.
Out of the 48 arrests, there were 96 total charges — 72 were warrants closed and 24 were additional charges.
D.C. Attorney General Matthew Graves highlighted the fact that three guns were recovered as part of the operation.
“This is just another data point in the point that we continue to make that we are seeing in an alarming trend — individuals who are under supervision, rearming or arming themselves during the course of the supervision,” Graves said. “The ecosystem has to change, the individuals you see assembled before you today need to be given the tools to address this new reality.”
Homicides are up 38% in the city so far this year, with data from D.C. police showing a total of 216 killings.
The arrests come in the same week that the D.C. Council moved to effectively extend several emergency crime bills through the spring.
But some D.C. residents have pressed for the city to do more to prevent violent crime, calling for an increased police presence in high-crime areas.
