(CBS DETROIT) — The Fugitive Apprehension Services Team (FAST) is a task force of Detroit police officers and Wayne County sheriff’s deputies.
The team had a record year in 2024, arresting nearly 1,040 individuals on outstanding felony warrants. This is the most arrests the unit has made since it was founded in 2019.
On Wednesday, CBS News Detroit joined task force members for a drive to gain insight into the team’s daily operations.
The FAST team gathers for an early morning briefing before heading out the door and making their first arrest of the day. Each officer is given five to eight interesting people to keep an eye out for.
On Wednesday, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans was along for the ride.
“You don’t always find a bunch of guys that are really smiling, excited to go out and work with each other. So I think that has a lot to do with this success,” Evans said.
As we drove to the first location, the team conducted surveillance and checked the house for signs of life.
“We have analysts collecting data, you know, so we’re not wasting our time here driving around and, you know, trying to find these guys,” Lt. Bilal Othman said.
Othman says each agent is given five to eight people of interest to keep an eye out for.
The first stop failed because the suspect, who was wanted for felony firearm possession, was not at home. During the second stop, police in Detroit arrested a man wanted for carrying a concealed weapon.
“Last year, homicides and fatal shootings, non-fatal shootings, were down significantly. And because the mayor and I have worked together for so long, we knew this would be just the beginning. You know, our goal would be last year’s record,” Evans said.
We then drove to a home in Warren, where police were searching for a suspect wanted for firearms possession. The team used a loudspeaker to get the person’s attention. When police felt it was time for a warrant, the suspect tried to run out the back door. But the task force surrounded the house and quickly arrested the suspect.
“It’s not about arresting everyone, but for those who choose to continue a life of gun violence or use guns to resolve disputes, this team is so capable, qualified and trained that they will go to work to get them and they do. they always get their person,” said Brian Rinehart, chief of staff in the Wayne County Executive Rinehart office.
