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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 6911 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 6911 'P T I AF,, Hof fORJ1 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council February 7, 1984 V _ �rexAy� Subject: WARRANT SERVING PROCEDURES IN THE FORT WORTH p73 MUNICIPAL COURT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT At the January 31 , 1984 Pre-Council meeting, Councilman Newkirk asked about the warrant service process in Fort Worth. Specifically, he inquired as to whether the Police Department could perform this task more effectively than, or in addition to, Municipal Court warrant officers. Role of Municipal Court Warrant Officers There currently are 20 budgeted warrant officer positions in the Municipal Court, 14 of which are staffed by fully trained employees. The six vacant positions will be required to staff the bonding desk at the new jail facility and to provide prisoner transfer service. In addition, there are 9 warrant clerks who provide crucial staff support to the officers. The clerks' primary responsibility is to research cases before warrants are executed to ensure the accuracy of the warrants. This includes providing information to demonstrate probable cause to the Judge as well as verifying bonds and warrants for the warrant officers. Studies consistently have shown that it is cost-effective for the clerks to perform the actual research, with follow-up done by the warrant officers. Most violations are cleared early in the judicial process. Violators first are notified by telephone; written notices then are sent when there is continued non-compliance. The execution and serving of warrants is the final step in the process, and typically is necessary only for multiple offenders and/or chronic violators who choose to ignore the earlier warnings. Role of the Police Department The Police Department also plays an active role in the warrant process. Their major responsibility is to take into custody violators with out- standing warrants. Officers routinely check each vehicle stopped through the North Central Texas Crime Information Center (NCTCIC) for any outstanding warrants and take appropriate action when violators are found. With implementation of the new Communications System, Police Department patrol vehicles will be equipped with in-car terminals which will allow officers direct access to NCTCIC. The department believes that this new capability will greatly increase the number of persons arrested for outstanding warrants. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 6911 - p. 2 Februar 7 1984 {of OOP To the Mayor and Members of the City Council y � �\ �reX C,* Subject: WARRANT SERVING PROCEDURES IN THE FORT WORTH MUNICIPAL COURT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT The Police Department also believes it would not be cost-effective for them to handle the serving of warrants because it would take time away from their primary duties, which are to provide visible protection ser- vices in neighborhoods and to issue citations when laws are broken. City of Dallas officials recently have been examining Fort Worth's warrant procedure in an effort to find ways to improve their operations. Status of Warrants in Municipal Court As of December 31, 1983, there were 67,511 warrants outstanding in the Municipal Court. Of the warrants issued for the '83-'84 fiscal year, 88.74% have been cleared, compared to 70.78% of those issued for the same period last year. In addition, more warrants were cleared during December, 1983, than were issued. The clearance rate was 115.22%, which indicates that the backlog of outstanding warrants is being reduced. Summary The City is making progress toward reducing the backlog of outstanding warrants under the present system. The vacant warrant officer positions, which will include three for prisoner transfers (from a previously approved M&C) and three to handle bonding activities, will also aid somewhat in Municipal Court warrant proceedings, though warrant research and serving will not be their primary activities. The addition of in- car terminals for the Police Department should provide substantial assistance in achieving further reductions. Both the Municipal Court and the Police Department have expressed satisfaction with the current division of responsibilities outlined above. Continuing Efforts In ongoing efforts to find ways of increasing effectiveness in reducing the number of outstanding warrants, staff will be working with Colonel James B. Adams, Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety to explore cooperative efforts in this area. One approach would be to deny driver license renewal to residents with outstanding warrants. Speci- fying the types of warrants that would invoke this sanction will be diffi- cult; nonetheless, this option will be further pursued (through administra- tive or legislative channels as appropriate) as will other alternatives that can be identified. If Council desires any additional information or clarification it will be provided on request. 6 'Robert L. Herchert City Manager RLH:kc ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS