BOGOTÁ, Colombia – The government of the Colombian capital is counting on citizens to help them apprehend the city’s highest-profile criminals.

And the strategy is yielding results.

Since Bogotá authorities issued the list of the 100 most-wanted criminals in the capital on Jan. 16, they’ve apprehended 22 fugitives, proving the information they’ve received from residents is being put to good use.

“The security plan ‘quadrant by quadrant’ that we’ve been implementing this year, and for which we’ve added a thousand new National Police officers to protect certain high-risk areas in Bogotá, is showing its first accomplishments,” said Col. Hamilzun Orozco, deputy Chief of the Metropolitan Police, speaking to the local press about the recent arrests. “The citizens have helped, but these new results come thanks to the investigations and strategy of the Judiciary Police.”

Officials are underscoring the need for the public to give them accurate information about criminals operating within the city.

“The purpose of compiling the list is to make society aware of who are the most wanted criminals,” said Antonio Navarro Wolf, the recently appointed municipal district secretary. “[This] acts like a network: Bogotanos recognize the faces of the criminals, and with the information they give us, we can track them down until they’re apprehended. That’s why the list is vital and will continue to be updated as long as we have criminals who evade the justice [system].”

Those on the 100 most-wanted list have “several arrest orders issued against them for belonging to different criminal structures that operate in the city for the purpose of committing murder, stealing, narco-trafficking and extortion,” said Gen. Luis Eduardo Martínez, the commander of Bogotá’s Metropolitan Police.

Fugitives were added to the list based on how many times they are accused of breaking the law and the severity of their alleged crimes, with a priority being placed on those linked to homicides, assault and battery, narco-trafficking, burglary and automobile theft, said Navarro Wolf, who requested the National Police produce the list.

The National Police, shown here escorting alleged Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) terrorist Néstor Ramírez Muñoz, has recently released a list with the 100 most wanted fugitives in Bogotá. (John Vizcaino/Reuters)

Residents provide information by calling the 112 police hotline, which forwards the tip to the police to start the investigation.

A committee comprised of the military’s Intelligence chiefs, the Army, Air Force, Police and the Prosecutor’s Technical Investigative Corps will determine later whether the informant – and the information that leads to the arrest – are credible.

Once the information has been deemed accurate and the proper paperwork has been completed, the informant receives a reward from the Treasury Department, which is provided through a budget funded by the Federal Government, the Justice Ministry and the municipal government of the city where the suspect is wanted.

How much money an informant receives depends on the value of the information. Rewards that directly lead to a fugitive’s apprehension can be as much as $20 million pesos (US$11,100), if for example, it directly results in the apprehension of a fugitive on the most-wanted list, said Gen. Javier Fernández, the head of intelligence for the military.

But the government has extended its reward program to residents outside Bogotá. President Juan Manuel Santos has set a reward of up to $100 million pesos (US$55,700) for information leading to the arrests of members of narco-trafficking organizations, namely Los Urabeños.

“I want to make this point clear,” Santos said. “There will be a reward for all these criminals of up to $100 million pesos for anyone who gives us information that leads to their capture.”

Santos also has issued a reward of up to $1.25 billion pesos (US$696,300) for tips leading to the apprehension of Luis Óscar Úsuga Restrepo and Alfredo Alarcón Machado, who are allegedly high-ranking members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).