Federal agents and local law enforcement officials executed 42 warrants in Cayuga County during a joint initiative called Operation Falcon on June 26 and 27.

Officers and deputies from the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office, Auburn Police Department, New York State Police, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the Drug Enforcement Agency worked side by side as part of a nationwide program run by the U.S. Marshals Service aimed at helping local law enforcement agencies execute arrest warrants.

The APD's Lt. Shawn Butler said local law enforcement was often too understaffed to dedicate an individual or team picking up the warrants, which was why the operation was successful.

The program, now in its fourth year, lent two marshals, one ATF agent and one DEA officer to the local agencies for two days.

“It comes down to manpower; we just don't have it,” Butler said. “We will check people as we run into them on a daily basis but we are usually running from call to call.”

U.S. Marshal Christopher Amoia said that many larger agencies would dedicate an entire team to executing arrest warrants because of the research and background information that needed to be gathered to find individuals.

“If they know they are wanted by the police, then they are running,” Amoia said. “They are usually transient so they are moving from place to place, which makes it tough (to find them.)”

The combined manpower and research enabled the APD to arrest Frederick Allwood, 36, of 33 Orchard St., Auburn, who was wanted on a warrant for first-degree felony sex abuse and endangering the welfare of a child, according to police.

Allwood was accused of having sexual contact with a child younger than 11-years-old.

In addition to providing additional manpower from the federal agencies, county Sheriff David Gould said the sheriff's office would be reimbursed for the overtime hours his people put in.

Sheriff's office employees put in 80 extra hours with nine deputies and investigators while the APD had eight people working on overtime.

Even Auburn City Court Judge Michael McKeon put in some extra work as he arraigned groups of arrested people twice each day, Butler said.

The operation also portrayed how the notions of turf wars between police agencies was a relic of the past, Gould said.

“Cooperation made this work,” Gould said. “Cooperation in this county is better than it has ever been. This is how it is supposed to work, and the county is working tremendously together.”

Staff writer Nate Robson can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or nathan.robson@lee.net