Durham, NC (Thursday, November 3, 2022) – Earlier today, Durham County Sheriff Clarence F. Birkhead joined multiple law enforcement agencies to announce the recent success of “Operation Washout.” The crime fighting initiative, launched at the federal level by the United States Marshals Service (USMS), targets the most violent offenders who have active felony arrest warrants across the Middle District of North Carolina.
USMS released data showing from September 19-30, 2022, a total of 59 arrests were made (7 for homicides) and nine (9) firearms were seized. Over $206,000 worth of seized drugs was also confiscated across the city and county limits of Durham.
“I emphasize these are not suspects; we will continue bringing previously identified violent offenders to justice and hold them accountable," Sheriff Birkhead said during a morning news conference at Durham Police Headquarters. "As Durham County Sheriff, we remind the public about the mission statement of “Operation Washout”: ‘Making Our Neighborhoods Safer Together'. This is a clear action plan to fight crime while demonstrating our collaborative partnerships at the local, state and federal levels. My office will continue providing the resources necessary to fellow law enforcement - be it intelligence and manpower – to keep tracking down the most violent offenders in our local community. This initiative is a proactive approach to strategically fight crime to keep our neighborhoods safe."
DCSO joined these other participating law enforcement agencies in “Operation Washout”:
- USMS Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force
- USMS Middle District of North Carolina
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
- Middle District of North Carolina United States Attorney's Office
- Durham Police Department
- North Carolina State Highway Patrol
- North Carolina Department of Public Safety