With the April 30 deadline approaching for the city”s amnesty program for outstanding municipal court fines, the numbers continue to grow — both in the number of warrants served, and the amount of fines being collected.
CPD Public Information Officer Terrie Songer said as of today, the department has served 292 warrants, and has collected approximately $330,000 in fines.
The amnesty program has been in place since Feb. 1.
The money collected from these fines goes to serve different city agencies, Songer said.
“It is divided up for many places. Some goes into the city”s general fund account, and some also goes to the municipal court division, Crimestoppers, and to the state,” she said.
Songer said old warrants are continuing to be served, but when new ones come through, they are served first.
“The new ones are those issued by the courts for contempt of court, or someone signs an affidavit. The new warrants will take precedence,” she said.
Songer said veteran officers who were assigned to warrant detail earlier this month have been an asset in helping the department with the amnesty program.
“They are motivated in what they do. They have done well in helping us collect the fines, and get those who do not come in to pay off the fine,” she said.
The warrant officers have been assigned to serving warrants to those not taking advantage of the amnesty program. But they will also continue to fulfill their other obligations as police officers. Songer said the warrant detail unit will continue to be a part of the CPD, although the officers will change when necessary.
The amnesty program is good only for people who come to the Municipal Building on Main Street to pay their fine.
“If you have an unpaid fine or fines, you need to come to the Municipal Building and pay the fine to get amnesty. You will not have to pay the contempt of court charge. That will be dismissed,” she said.
Songer said that if a person with an outstanding warrant is stopped during a routine traffic stop, “they can be arrested.”
On Feb. 1, Columbus Mayor Robert Smith and CPD Police Chief Joseph St. John held a press conference announcing the amnesty program designed to clear a backlog of warrants and fines owed to the city.
Both the mayor and the chief urged those who owe outstanding fines to voluntarily come to the Municipal Building to pay the fines and receive amnesty. If they did not come to pay the fine, CPD officers would come looking for them to make an arrest.
Allen Baswell was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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