The Yakima Police Department (YPD) and a dozen other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are joining together for what’s being called Operation Invictus, a targeted effort to identify, locate, and apprehend violent crime fugitives throughout the Central Washington region this summer.
In addition to the YPD, local law enforcement agencies participating in Operation Invictus include the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office, the Union Gap Police Department, the Kennewick Police Department, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, the Yakima County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Yakama Nation Department of Public Safety. The Washington State Department of Corrections Community Response Unit is also part of the effort. Federal partners include the FBI, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The Washington State Fusion Center, which supports public safety and homeland security missions of federal, state, local, and tribal agencies, and Maike and Associates, a research consulting firm, are also part of the team.
The goal of Operation Invictus, which is an element of Project Safe Neighborhoods and the Violent Crime Reduction Initiative, is simple – make communities safer.
“The combined resources, knowledge, and expertise of the various agencies that are partnering in this operation are significant,” said Yakima Police Chief Matt Murray. “Together, we’ll concentrate on apprehending violent crime offenders who have warrants for their arrest. Taking those offenders off of the street will have an immediate impact in making the communities of Central Washington safer,” said Murray.
Murray underscored that immigration enforcement is not an element of the operation.
“All of the agencies involved in the operation are focused on apprehending known, violent fugitives regardless of their residency status,” said Murray.
Anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of a violent crime fugitive is encouraged to contact the Yakima Police Department at (509) 575-6200 or by calling 9-1-1. Tips can be also be reported to Yakima County Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-248-9980, on the organization’s website at crimestoppersyakco.org, or through the “P3 Tips” app that can be downloaded for free at p3intel.com/.
Updates about the operation and its outcomes will be provided on a regular basis on YPD communications platforms. Community members are encouraged to track the progress of the operation on the YPD Twitter feed (@yakimapolice) and the YPD Instagram feed (yakpd).