JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Brian Fogarty, 41, is being held without bail after police say he terrorized at least two local families.
Despite being labeled a habitual offender, it took the Department of Corrections six days to issue an arrest warrant.
State Rep. Janet Adkins, a Republican who represents the area where a Watson Realty employee was attacked, said she tried tackling this problem in 2014 in an effort to prioritize what at the time was a backlog of roughly 19,000 absconders.
“It's a system that appears to be overwhelmed with backlog. There's a lot of bureaucracy involved,” Adkins said.
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Before our interview, Adkins spoke with an official with the Department of Corrections. She learned a warning was issued to law enforcement agencies to look out for Fogarty on July 5, the same day he cut off his tracking device.
Once it was confirmed Fogarty was on the run, the case was sent to the Florida Commission on Offender Review on July 8 but it wasn't until July 11 that an arrest warrant was issued.
“It appears, just the way the days worked, do these individuals who serve on the commission are they looking at this on the weekend?” Adkins said.
Adkins said there should be a way to prioritize those with violent criminal pasts like Fogarty.
“My heart goes out these families who were harmed and our officials in public safety. We need to do a better job, I believe, in ensuring that our public is safe,” Adkins said.
Cox Media Group
