Inside the U.S. Marshals' fugitive task force partnership with Oakland Police
OAKLAND — For the first time in at least five years, media cameras were allowed inside a U.S. Marshals fugitive operation in Oakland, offering a glimpse into the work of the U.S. Marshals Service and their local law enforcement partners as they track down the region's most dangerous fugitives.
From a discreet command center in Oakland to boots on the ground along International Boulevard, the Marshals' Bay Area Fugitive Task Force has teamed up with the Oakland Police Department as part of the city's Summer Safety Plan, a time when crime is known to climb along with temperatures.
"We're trying to be high visibility. We're not trying to hide what we're doing," said Senior Inspector Chris Tamayo, a Bay Area native who has spent the last 12 years tracking fugitives across Northern California. "There is a lot of significance for me to feel like I'm actually at home in my area, not just supporting my friends who are officers looking for people. But it's my community. I feel like I have ownership."
The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force partners not just with Oakland, but also with police departments in San Francisco, Alameda, Marin, Antioch, Oakley, and others across the Bay.
The partnership could be expanding. The San Jose City Council is considering a partnership with the task force as well.
Oakland's police resources are already stretched thin, as it remains short roughly 200 police officers. But the Marshals bring federal resources and a broader arrest authority, helping local departments close high-priority cases.
So far this year, the Pacific Southwest Fugitive Task Force has made 273 arrests, nearly half of them in Oakland. In just three months, between April and June, the team made 70 arrests on homicide charges and 79 more related to assault.
This week, the team turned its focus to sex offenders, serving warrants for rape, molestation, and failure to register. One suspect, last seen wearing gray and a Raiders hat, was spotted riding a bus down International Boulevard. The task force moved in quickly, arresting him without incident and allowing the bus to continue its route.
"When we take someone off the street, even if it's for a week before they get released, at least that person's out of the game for a little bit," Tamayo said.
But the team has recently faced a new challenge. Inspectors say they've encountered an uptick in confusion and tension, as residents mistakenly believe the Marshals are part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"We're dealing with a lot of people thinking we're ICE, and so sometimes places have become unsafe to make the arrest," Tamayo explained. While the Marshals Service can support federal immigration enforcement, this task force is focused squarely on violent offenders, not immigration violations.
"It really just goes to show that there's a lot of people here that want police to do their job," Tamayo said. "They want crime to come down."
The Oakland Police Department said the partnership with the Marshals is essential to restoring safety this summer.
"The Oakland Police Department (OPD) is grateful for the support of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners as we continue our Summer Safety Plan," the department told CBS News Bay Area in a statement. "This collaboration allows our residents, businesses, and visitors to live, work, and enjoy their time in Oakland without fear of crime."