Utah's Joint Criminal Apprehension Team marks 10 years, 10,000 arrests

SALT LAKE CITY — First, there was the scream of joy from the mother.

But what supervisory deputy U.S. marshal Jim Phelps will remember most about informing the family of Faviola Hernandez that the man wanted for allegedly shooting and killing their daughter inside her salon in 2007 had been arrested in Mexico was the reaction from Faviola's son, who was 6 at the time of the shooting.

"He looks at me and says, 'I can go outside now.' For a year, he was too afraid to go outside," Phelps said. "The next day, we held a press conference and he came up to me and said, 'Hey Jim, I rode my bike today.' That's the first time he's rode his bike since the shooting."

It's cases like the Hernandez homicide that motivate Phelps and his Joint Criminal Apprehension Team to continue doing what they do. It's about giving the victims, or the families of victims, some closure to their case by bringing the perpetrator to justice, he said.

Ten years ago, Phelps came up with a proposal to start JCAT, a partnership between federal, state and local police agencies aimed at arresting violent offenders, gang members and sex offenders with outstanding warrants. The marshal's office first partnered with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. Next was the West Jordan Police Department.

"It slowly evolved to every agency in the valley had representation on our squad," Phelps said.

During its first year of existence, JCAT made 227 arrests. That number has increased by an average of 200 to 300 arrests each year. Now, in its 10th year, JCAT has surpassed 10,100 arrests.

Today, the JCAT team comprises more than 170 local, state and federal law enforcers covering the entire state. During the week, JCAT members will meet, review cases and then make their way throughout the Wasatch Front tracking down and arresting people. The JCAT team has become so successful that the marshal's office is able to provide equipment and even vehicles to local agencies using federal money.

"It's one of the most successful task forces in the country," he said.

Phelps is proud that his group receives requests nightly from other agencies to assist in cases. Sometimes, when a department's SWAT team isn't available, JCAT will get a call, he said. JCAT members are on call 24/7. A look at Phelps' laptop shows how often JCAT members have been called out recently in the middle of the night for an emergency. On his screen, there are still the pages sent out the night Millard County sheriff's deputy Josie Fox was shot and killed, sparking a massive manhunt that ended in Beaver County.