Federal fugitive task force tracks most dangerous criminals in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE — Lawmakers and police say the pandemic is producing a nationwide crime wave. According to the CDC, the murder rate is the highest we’ve seen in some parts of the country in 100 years.

Now, a special law enforcement team has started focusing on the most dangerous criminals. They invited only our Blair Miller along for access to the team and a chance to ride along with them to see their impact and the dangers they face.

The mission usually begins as the sun comes up. That’s when wanted criminals least expect law enforcement.

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The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force goes after criminals who are considered to be the worst of the worst. Commander Brian Alfano helps lead the team in North Carolina.

“We’re looking for people who don’t want to be found,” he said.

The suspects are usually wanted for crimes like murder, kidnapping, robbery, assault, and more. Across the country, there are eight regional specialized units. In 2020, they arrested more than 77,000 people nationwide.

We rode with Commander Alfano and his team as they looked for a fugitive wanted for robbery with a dangerous weapon. Police believed she had been on the run since September. They waited outside an apartment in Charlotte for hours as they worked with other law enforcement officers to confirm that she was there. Then, they finally moved in and were able to arrest her with no problems.

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We were also there as U.S. Marshals went looking for a man wanted for assault with a deadly weapon. Investigators said he also made threats to law enforcement, saying he would kill the next cop that came into contact with him. Police moved in and arrested him as well.

The workload for these task forces matches what the statistics show. According to the CDC, 2020 had the largest single-year increase in murders in a century.

The rates of deadly crimes have also continued to rise. It’s something the U.S. Marshals know all too well -- right now, they average 300 arrests nationwide each day.

“Crime is on the rise. It doesn’t mean that we can let up, it means we have to work harder,” said Commander Alfano. “These are our communities, as well. We live here, so we take it personal if somebody is out there wreaking havoc and committing crimes, we want them off the streets because we’re raising our families here as well,” he said.

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