Fox News reports that 10,733 fugitives were rounded up in a sweep led by the US Marshals Service. The operation covered 24 eastern states and lasted six days beginning on October 22. State and local law enforcement officers aided the marshals. About 3,000 officers were involved. Sweeps of this type were previously conducted in April 2005 and April 2006.

Are you wondering what all these law enforcement people were doing between April and October? Apparently not finding and arresting fugitives from justice. Why else would there be an almost 11,000 fugitive backlog? Was the fugitive roundup season closed? Or was October just a really high crime month?

Let’s examine the numbers a little closer. About 3,000 officers arrested about 11,000 fugitives in six days. That’s less than 4 fugitive arrests per officer, or just a little better than one arrest per officer every two days. The Marshals Service is crowing about that?

Who wants to bet me that at least 80 percent of them won’t be back on the street within a week?