Statewide Warrant Round Up Rebecca Stark Austin Municipal Court Administrator
Statewide Warrant Round Up Importance of Warrant Service Warrant Round Up vs. Amnesty Conducting a Round Up Statewide Effectiveness Parties Involved Pre-Round Up Activities Round Up Post Round Up Activities / Results
Why it is important Lack of penalty if don t collect/serve warrants Enhance compliance Clear outstanding warrants Increase revenue Part of new collection program Promote respect for Law Enforcement and Court
Why I should Number of outstanding warrants Age of outstanding warrants Can t serve all warrants Staffing Defendant location Unable to locate defendants Other
What is being done What is being done to serve/collect warrants from your court? Letters Service (Law Enforcement) DPS FTA program (Omnibase) Collection Agency Special Projects Other
Amnesty vs. Round Up Amnesty Concentrated effort to enforce warrants by offering incentives to get voluntary compliance by defendants Warrant Round Up Concentrated effort to enforce warrants without incentives
Amnesty incentives Amnesty incentives Financial based Dismiss FTA or VPTA Reduce fine (but not court costs, fees) Freedom based Period of time where won t make arrests while persons voluntarily handling warrants Waive warrant fee? Shouldn t - Art. 102.011 C.C.P. (a) A defendant convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor shall pay the following fees for services performed by a peace officer: (a) (2) - $50 for executing or processing an issued arrest warrant or capias
Serving warrants What is the easiest way to get a warrant served? Defendant comes in voluntarily 92% of Austin s large round up One way to get voluntary compliance? Round Ups
Statewide becomes effective The key to the success of a statewide Warrant Round is voluntary compliance Coordination among entities Notices are sent Defendants do NOT know there is no central class c warrant database Media awareness Follow-up by law enforcement with arrests
Getting started Name champion (coordinator) Inventory warrants Coordinate with appropriate agencies If statewide, register Law enforcement, judges, jail, other city agencies Budget Date Resources including budget Mailers, personnel (overtime), where to take arrestees
Coordination Statewide is usually the first weekend in March Defendants ability to pay (tax returns) Spring Break End/Beginning of Month
Pre-WRU notices Notices very effective Self, collection agency, other Return envelopes Recommend 2 weeks in advance Different design from other notices Send for all warrants (don t exclude because of distance) Returned mailer handling (bad addresses) Content Can defendants call? Hours (extended for round up?) How to take care of warrant checks, credit cards, etc. Night deposit IVR or Internet payments (when?) Samples available
Pre-WRU advertising Advertising Court Notices (see previous slide) Other city notices water bills, electrical bills, WEB site, etc. Press conference News releases Paid ads Cable television WEB site or IVR Media Statewide is news Be ready for questions
Prepare your court/agency Lots of response to notices, ads, media Prepare staffing phones, mail, walk-in Extra open to the public hours? Media talking with defendants Target arrestees Maybe pre-phone calls or some research
Day of event Law Enforcement to make arrests Each entity generally arrests on own warrants How early to start? Door hangers (have sample) Allow credit card calls? Where to take arrestees Court recommended to be involved Open to the Public? If so, how long? Staffing for phones, walk-ins, etc. Who will handle media? Special judicial orders Keeping and reporting statistics
Results Report results Include statistics # closed warrants, revenue, credits, costs To statewide coordinator(s) and others in entity Reward / recognize participants Other Better relations with law enforcement Better relations with other courts Morale builder Achievement to show management
Statewide Warrant Round Up Rebecca Stark Austin Municipal Court Administrator (512) 974-4690 (512) 974-4682 (fax) Rebecca.Stark@ci.austin.tx.us (please e-mail for electronic copies of handouts) Don McKinley Austin Municipal Court Manager (512) 974-4820 (512) 974-4682 (fax) Don.McKinley@ci.austin.tx.us (please e-mail for electronic copies of handouts)
2010 Statewide Warrant Round Up Round Up on Saturday, March 6, 2010 Can go through Monday, March 15 th Notices Mail on or after Friday, February 19 th Press Conferences Central Texas: 9:30 a.m., February 19 th, APD Others to be announced Do not announce dates to media until February 19 th Statistics to be kept and submitted by Friday, March 26 th Instructions and forms are available Participant List and Registration form at: www.cityofaustin.org/court