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Sheriff's office takes new tack on clearing minor warrants
By Jeff Kearns
Instead of sending scofflaws with outstanding warrants directly to jail, the county Sheriff's Department is offering a get-out-of-jail-free card to those who come forward voluntarily.
The new program, which may be unique to the Bay Area, is designed to cut down on the high number of unserved warrants in the county by making it easy for violators to turn themselves in.
Starting Jan. 11, anyone who is wanted on a traffic or minor criminal warrant can come forward by calling a new hotline set up by the department. People wanted for minor offenses can arrange to receive a citation and a new court date, instead of a trip to County Jail. For warrants that can't be handled with a simple citation, the Sheriff's Department says it will try to make the arrest convenient for the caller.
"You can call your boss and say, 'Hey, I think I'm going to take a vacation for the month of February,' " said Sgt. John Hirokawa, spokesman for the Sheriff's Department. "Sooner or later, you're going to have to take care of it, so this just makes it more convenient. I've been on sweeps where we've had to go to someone's work and arrest them, and it can be really embarrassing for people."
In the county, about 96,000 traffic citations and about 45,000 criminal warrants remain unserved. Traffic warrants can be anything from fix-it tickets to DUIs, and minor criminal warrants can include possession of marijuana, trespassing or assault and battery. Suspects wanted for felonies or more serious crimes still must be arrested, but the program gives them a chance to pick the time and place.
The Sheriff's Department began making arrests and issuing citations the day after the program was announced by print, radio and TV media. By the end of last week, the two deputies manning the phones had been overwhelmed by hundreds of calls, and appointments were booked solid for a week straight.
Because of staffing shortages over the years, Hirokawa says many minor warrants have become lost in the shuffle. Some warrants may be wiped out by the District Attorney's office, depending on circumstances and evidence, after seven years.
However, bureaucratic changes over the last few years have made it harder to ignore outstanding warrants, Hirokawa added. "You can't register your car if you have an unpaid ticket that's been reported to DMV, nor can you renew your license if you have a warrant for your arrest."
In the late '70s, the Sheriff's Department had more than 20 sworn officers on the fugitive warrant crew, and that number dipped to just six in the early '80s. The unit's size meant the department could only concentrate on the worst offenders, but two new deputies--whose positions were funded by the county Board of Supervisors last summer--joined the beat last week.
The idea for the program came from Sgt. Lindley Zink, who oversees the fugitive warrant unit.
So far, the program is scheduled to continue indefinitely. Anyone who wants to take the Sheriff's Department up on its offer or find out if they have a warrant may leave a message at 408.299.4982.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
