By Cheryl Skinner

Missouri City Municipal Court Administrator Cathy Haney reviews warrant files.

Missouri City Police have joined with agencies across the state in a massive crackdown on persons with outstanding warrants. And, police say, the clock is ticking on a grace period that allows local residents with outstanding warrants to voluntarily take care of the citations before police arrest you.

The initiative began on Feb. 19 and will continue through March 6. After March 6 there will be a week of intensified arrests.

The Warrant Roundup program is geared toward allowing offenders to settle their fines so that they can avoid arrest. Payments will be accepted in person, by phone and online from Feb. 19 to March 6. After that, outstanding accounts will be forwarded to the Missouri City Police Department and officers will arrest offenders at their homes, schools and businesses from March 6 to March 13. By joining the statewide effort, Missouri City residents who have outstanding warrants from other parts of Texas will be identified and local police will be alerted. The long arm of the law is reaching further out and the odds of being caught have increased.

“Missouri City currently has more than 7,000 outstanding warrants that total more than $2 million in fines going back to 1989,” Municipal Court Administrator Cathy Haney recently explained.

Missouri City’s Municipal Court staff is committed to providing residents excellent customer service, especially in sensitive situations such as this. Haney highlighted a unique, multifaceted service the Court provides to residents: a courtesy call to remind them of the fine, and to encourage and assist them in paying it. Every Friday, Filmore Cohen, a long time citizen volunteer, makes those calls for about three hours. Cohen, who has been a member of the Police & Fire Auxiliary for more than 20 years and is a member of the Citizens Response Team, personally counsels dozens of individuals on available payment options and the dire consequences involved if a fine remains unpaid.

“In the 15 or 20 years I’ve been doing this, most of the people are very appreciative,” Cohen said.  “People don’t realize that even if it is a misdemeanor, a warrant can be issued for your arrest if you don’t show up in court. I enjoy doing it and think I’ve done some good for the city.”

While fines are generally about $200, Haney stressed that if it is not paid within 30 days, the amount can quickly increase by more than $100 from additional fees assessed for nonpayment. If a fine has to be handled by a collection agency, the offender is charged an additional 30 percent.

“We send out courtesy notices and we work with people who have outstanding warrants. It’s always to their advantage to pay on time instead of accruing late fees and additional fines,” Haney said.

Numerous counties and cities across Texas will participate and collaborate in the Warrant Roundup that will target thousands of defendants with traffic, parking, city ordinance, penal code and truancy warrants. It is believed to be the largest joint operation of its kind with arrests expected to continue for several days.  Hundreds of thousands of notices were recently mailed to offenders statewide.

“The focus of the program is to get these warrants cleared,” Haney said, stressing that “officers will come to your home or work place during the roundup,” if a fine is not paid.

To pay a fine in Missouri City: visit the City’s website, www.missouricitytx.gov, and click on “Pay Court Fines” under Quick Links on the homepage, call 281-403-8669 and pay with a credit card, or go to the Municipal Court at 3845 Cartwright Road. Extended hours will be in effect at the Court during the roundup and will include a 24-hour opportunity to make a payment, which is a drop-box located to the left of the Court entrance.  “This time of year after residents get their tax refunds is a good time for people with outstanding warrants to go ahead and take care of them,” Haney said.

By failing to settle fines, individuals may not be able to renew their driver’s license and they are subject to being pulled over by police in other jurisdictions statewide through a system that tracks outstanding warrants.

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