SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 28, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — A few blocks from his motel, Geovanni Duran stopped his car near a fast-food joint at 200 West and 500 South, and instantly found himself boxed in by multiple unmarked vehicles that screeched to a stop.
The next second, nearly a dozen armed officers stood poised to react as one yelled out that they were police, they knew Duran was a parole fugitive, and he was being arrested.
After the briefest pause, Duran decided to cooperate.
“It did go smoothly,” said Nathan Griffiths, Utah Adult Probation and Parole assistant manager for Region 3. “He was a little startled, and a little apprehensive getting out of the vehicle, but once he realized what was happening, they were able to transport him to the Salt Lake County Jail without incident.”
What was happening was the monthly Adult Probation and Parole Region 3 Fugitive Night Out. AP&P workers research the probable whereabouts of their highest-risk parole fugitives.
“It’s a routine operation AP&P has done monthly,” Griffiths said. “We do this with all the regions throughout the state. For the actual apprehension, agents research throughout the week possible leads on possible parole fugitives that may pose a violent threat to the community.”
“We put all our resources together, catching as many as we can, and we do it safely for officers and offenders.”
Region 3’s April Fugitive Night Out began on Thursday evening with a briefing on offenders and their circumstances, accomplished as officers noshed on pizza and cookies and drank Gatorade. Soon enough, they were divided into three teams and were on the street with their assignments.
Griffiths said Duran previously served time after conviction on charges including theft by receiving and unlawful possession of a debit card. Griffiths also said Duran is a known gang member with a history of fleeing police. He became a fugitive late last month, when he changed addresses without informing AP&P, and he had stopped meeting with his parole officer.
Officers had arrived at Duran’s motel a little after 10 p.m. Thursday, shortly before he came out of the building. The AP&P crew followed him to a less-populated area, a move to protect the public.
The three teams of Region 3 AP&P police, each with eight to 12 officers, put in a good night’s work, and took 14 parole fugitives into custody without injury to anyone involved, Griffiths said.
“It’s a standard operation,” Griffiths said. “What is unique is that you (Gephardt Daily) saw us,” he added, laughing.
Asked about whether anything had changed in the group’s training or direction since the January 2016 death of Unified Police Officer Doug Barney, shot by a fugitive parolee, Griffiths said one thing immediately came to mind.
“Things always change as we bring the skill level up, but the big thing that has changed is we’ve taken on building relationships with outside agencies,” he said. “Historically, we trained separately, but we have found it helpful to cross train and incorporate skills that strengthen each agency.”
Griffiths said he was proud of his officers.
“These guys work really hard,” he said. “They work long days, some of them out to 1, 2, 3 in the morning, then they come in first thing in the morning. They’re up bright and early, doing their job and being great at it.”
