New Fugitive Team launches to catch ‘most wanted’

Hampshire and the Isle of Wight’s ‘most wanted’ will now be tracked down by a specialist new policing team.

The Fugitive Team has been created to catch high-risk and high-harm offenders.

Funded by Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, its focus will be on locating and arresting those who pose the biggest threat to our communities and ensuring they are brought to justice.

Donna Jones said: “These officers have been recruited to make sure our villages, towns and cities are safe from those responsible for causing the greatest harm.

“The Fugitive Team will be using specialist analytics, intelligence and data to relentlessly pursue and arrest persistent and high-harm offenders, outstanding suspects and prolific criminals.

“This will help safeguard victims, reduce risk, and offer reassurance to those living in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight that we’re getting these criminals off our streets.”

The Fugitive Team will be based in Fareham and work seven days a week across the two counties – liaising closely with local policing teams and the Violent Crime Taskforce.

They will use the full range of policing powers and tactics to disrupt offending, secure convictions and protect vulnerable victims of crimes.

It’s led by Inspector Tim Williams: “I want Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to be a hostile environment for those who cause us most harm.

“We have the dedicated resources needed to go after those criminals who think they can evade us and by doing this intricate, time-consuming work, it frees up frontline officers to focus on other issues in their local communities.

“We know we have a number of high-risk or high-harm people who are either in or travel through Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. We also know there are people who’ve committed crimes here and have left.

“My message to these criminals is clear: there is no hiding place. It’s game over. We’re coming for you.”

Assistant Chief Constable for Local Policing, Tony Rowlinson, said: “I am delighted this dedicated team is now out in our communities targeting our most wanted suspects.

“Their specialist skills will be available 24/7, taking immediate action to track down those causing the most harm in our communities and disrupting criminality.

“I know Inspector Williams and his highly-trained team will work tirelessly to bring our most prolific suspects to justice and make Hampshire and the Isle of Wight a safer place for all.”

The Police and Crime Commissioner announced extra funding to recruit the team earlier this year – taking the number of extra police officers during her tenure to 851.