By ART LAWLER
March 19, 2008 04:08 pm
—
Bad news for all you people who have outstanding warrants with Gun Barrel City.
City Manager Gerry Boren and the Gun Barrel City Police Department are coming after you.
“We are going to work out warrants,” he said late Tuesday morning, following a four-hour concentrated effort Monday evening by police officers who worked overtime collecting unpaid tickets and other warrants.
A short meeting was held at the police station and about 70 warrants were divided among 10 police officers, who then scattered to different locations to collect fees or take those who didn’t pay, to jail.
Of the 70 warrants, officers found enough people home to clear 29 of those warrants.
“I believe it’s a success,” said Boren. “It’s the first roundup the city has conducted in over five years.
“This was Phase Two of the operation. Phase One was in the middle of March. We ran those warrants over a 10-day-period and cleared 87 warrants.
“We will continue to send letters and make phone calls, and we will come and pick you up from work,” he said.
Some of the locations worked Monday night included Gun Barrel City warrants to residents in Athens, Canton, Malakoff, Tool, Kemp and other Cedar Creek Lake locations.
Asked how he thought the new get tough collection system worked, Boren said, “I believe it’s a success, it’s the first roundup the city has conducted in over five years. Boren said the city will conduct a daytime roundup this summer by going to violators places of work.
“When we have a backlog of more than 1,000 warrants, we will work the issue. If anyone knows they have an outstanding warrant, they can contact the municipal court and make arrangements for payments.
Those picked Monday night were taken into custody at the Gun Barrel City Jail and arraigned. Some paid their tickets under the city’s new credit-card system, while others worked out payment plans.
Asked if he thought the effort was worth it financially, Boren said, “We collected $3,035.59. By the time the state gets its 65 percent, we just about broke even.
“But this is an investment,” Boren said. “Why write a ticket if you don’t go get them?”
“We are going to serve our warrants.”
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