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Partnership will give
local officers the authority to go across the country to arrest wanted
people
BY KEN KOSKY Times Staff Writer
VALPARAISO -- Several people wanted by police in
Porter County have crossed the Illinois border where police officers from
Indiana do not have the authority to arrest someone. But luck has run out for
those on the run. Porter County police warrant officers Dean Pontjeris and
Robert Gannon on Thursday were deputized by the U.S. Marshal's Service. "I
can travel the whole United States," Pontjeris said. "That's going to be
nice." Gannon and Pontjeris may now travel out of state, arrest people and
take them to the nearest jurisdiction for holding. And, with the proper
paperwork, they can transport people back to Indiana. However, they might not
have to travel much. The Marshal's Service has offices throughout the country,
and it has also formed partnerships with hundreds of other police departments.
The Marshal's Service has also offered to arrest offenders nationwide and
extradite them to Porter County for about half of what it would cost Porter
County to do itself. "We can be especially helpful when people (wanted in
Porter County) leave the area," said U.S. Marshal Michael Carrington. "I
think it's exciting," Gannon said. "It's going to be interesting working with
(the Marshal's Service) and them working with us." The Marshal's Service will
provide manpower to help serve the 4,850 outstanding warrants in Porter County.
Porter County's officers, in turn, will help serve federal warrants in this
area. "The main objective here is to clear up these warrants," Pontjeris
said. "We're going to pool our resources and work together on their warrants
and our warrants... It's going to be a good task force. I don't see any down
side." Sheriff Dave Reynolds said there were 5,900 arrest warrants to serve
when he became sheriff. He said extra emphasis on the problem has helped cut
that number to 4,850, but the assistance from the U.S. Marshal might lower that
number further. The partnership with the U.S. Marshal will benefit both sides
in other ways. The county will get $1 million to help build the new Porter
County Jail and in exchange the Sheriff's Department will rent jail bed space to
the Marshal's Service. "It's a tremendous opportunity for us," Reynolds
said. "They have a wealth of resources, and I appreciate their
offer." Reynolds said other steps are being taken to clear up the outstanding
warrants, like listing wanted people on the Sheriff's Department Web site at www.portercountysheriff.com. The Sheriff's Department is also in the process of
seeking to recall some extremely old civil warrants that involve someone who has
moved out of the area who owes a small amount of money. |
