Communicating vital information is key in the search and apprehension of fugitives.

“Criminals don’t care or worry about county lines,” said Lt. Tony Wooten, spokesman for the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office.

A multi-jurisdictional meeting today in Forsyth County is aimed at addressing the issue. Officers from 11 agencies interested in forming a North Georgia warrants unit task force will sit down to share ideas.

Held by Forsyth County Sheriff Ted Paxton, the purpose of the meeting is to form an information-sharing network of law enforcement officials in North Georgia, with the primary goal being to serve arrest warrants and locate fugitives.

“We realized that there was a need in North Georgia for a communication network between agencies that would help locate fugitives who may be hiding in a nearby county,” Paxton said. “This network will meet that need.”

Another goal of the meeting is to facilitate specialized training in tracking and apprehending fugitives.

“We have so many fugitives with active warrants in North Georgia that bounce from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, which makes it harder for us to account for them,” Wooten said. “The task force will also allow us to do a better job holding those accountable and serving those warrants.”

Law enforcement in North Georgia have for years utilized similar information sharing methods to track and apprehend suspects in narcotics investigations.

“Narcotic investigators continuously share information very successfully. We believe this network will be just as successful,” Wooten said.