SIMI POLICE OFTEN HELP WITH SEARCHES FOR FUGITIVES.

Byline: Michael Coit Daily News Staff Writer

Fugitives are wanted even in one of the nation's safest cities.

While the Ventura County Sheriff's Department manages the master list of 2,500 or so active fugitive warrants from local courts, Simi Valley police peel off local cases to help in the hunt. Many involve narcotics cases. Most suspects have long since fled the area.

``They're certainly doing their best to avoid answering to the bar of justice,'' said Lt. Dick Thomas, who oversees the department's warrant detail as commander of the Special Operations unit.

The six officers and a sergeant assigned to the unit are primarily involved in stakeouts for specific crime problems, crackdowns on street-level narcotics, stings targeting bars, restaurants and stores selling alcohol to minors, and the department's bicycle patrols.

Two of those officers are assigned to maintain warrant files on local fugitives. They usually spend a couple of afternoons each week pursuing wanted fugitives, Thomas said.

``We're really in pretty good shape. They know what their area is and manage their own time,'' Thomas said. ``Most of the time they wear plain clothes. They drive unmarked vehicles. They have the latitude to spend more time and energy on specific issues.''

Their work helps ensure warrants remain active and enforceable based on the legal mandate for ``due diligence'' so all reasonable efforts are made to contact a wanted fugitive.

``We just keep working it and continually try to locate the suspects and track them down,'' Thomas said.

``If they have an attorney, we try to get them to surrender in court. If we make contact, we take them into physical custody,'' he explained. ``If they fled the jurisdiction, that's when we get creative.''

An infamous sting in February 1990 still brings a smile to Thomas' face.

The department sent letters under the fictional heading ``California Lottery Marketing Research Associates'' to more than 3,300 county residents with outstanding warrants promising 100 free lottery tickets in return for their participation in a program to test games in a Simi Valley hotel ballroom.

One tempting paragraph stated, ``No sales talks, no gimmicks, no catch. Play our games and collect your 100 Lottery Tickets - our way of saying thank you for your time. You may also qualify for the drawing for the `Big Spin.' ''

Despite several days of unsolicited news articles about the operation, more than 50 people walked into the sting.

``Even with the story leaked, we ended up arresting 43 people that day,'' Thomas recalled.