The Fugitive Unit was established in January 1978. The mandated responsibility of the unit is to conduct and assist in investigations involving prison escapes and other wanted felons. Throughout its history, the Fugitive Unit has been the sole agency in New Jersey to coordinate the pursuit of fugitives between the various levels of law enforcement charged with the apprehension of wanted persons. The unit has initiated and coordinated various fugitive roundups where the combined efforts of state, federal, county, and local law enforcement agencies have joined forces to apprehend hundreds of fugitives from justice.
The unit continues to publish the New Jersey's Twelve Most Wanted bulletin, which highlights the State's most violent and dangerous fugitives. 25,000 copies of the bulletin are sent to over 1,200 police agencies throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.