A message from FPCA's President, Chief Gary R. Grosser:

"50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FBI'S TEN MOST WANTED FUGITIVES LIST"

April 1, 2000

The following is a press release from the FBI, that I would like to share with you.

In 1949, a reporter approached the FBI about writing a story about the "toughest guys" being sought by the FBI. The Bureau provided the names of ten fugitives to the reporter. The resulting feature became a major story and gained national attention. As a consequence of the overwhelming public support, on March 14, 1950, Director J. Edgar Hoover inaugurated the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" Program.

From that moment in 1950, the FBI, through the Top Ten list, has been asking for help from the public to locate America's most dangerous fugitives. The response has been impressive. Since 1950, 458 fugitives have appeared on the list, 429 have been apprehended or located, and 137 of the 429 fugitives were located as a direct result of citizen tips. These all have been the most dangerous of criminals.

That the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list is a creation of the media is fitting. Media reports on Top Ten fugitives focus national and, increasingly, international attention on ten of the most vicious criminals being sought by law enforcement. This public safety service directly translates into apprehensions and the preservation of public safety that directly results from these criminals being taken into custody.

As the nature of crime and FBI priorities changed over the years, so too has the makeup of the Top Ten list. In the 1950's, the list featured bank robbers, burglars, and car thieves. In the 1960's, the list reflected criminals charged with crimes like destruction of government property, sabotage, and kidnapping. In the 1970's, fugitives charged with organized crime and terrorism were prominent. Today, international terrorists, serial murderers, major international drug dealers, and organized crime figures make up the list.

Other factors also have influenced the evolution of the Program. The globalization of crime has brought foreign media and foreign broadcasting services, including Voice of America, into the pursuit of international criminals. Television and the Internet have allowed programs like "America's Most Wanted" to bring broader public participation to the Program. Thirteen Top Ten captures have resulted from the show's televised publicity, more than any other single media source. Also, visitors to the www.fbi.gov web site can see pictures and descriptions of "Top Ten" fugitives any time of the day or night from anywhere in the world. An international capture has already resulted. The FBI places a high priority on the fugitive investigations represented on the list. A $50,000 reward for information leading directly to the arrest of a Top Ten fugitive is offered.

That reporter's idea, 50 years ago, to form a partnership among law enforcement, the media, and the American people continues to prove beneficial to public safety. At a ceremony dedicating a new Top Ten exhibit on the FBI Tour in Washington, D.C., Deputy Director Thomas Pickard said, "The FBI's 'Ten Most Wanted Fugitives' Program continues to empower citizens across the country and around the world to safely and effectively assist law enforcement. Cooperation from the public has always been a component of effective law enforcement. The 50 years of success of this program demonstrates the validity of that principle. The public is safer as a result.