HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 07152003 - C.49 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS �`� "� Contra
FROM: INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE rg gosta
DATE: JULY 7, 2003 �: - ty sroun
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES AND SUCCESS TO DATE IN REDUCING THE NUMBER
OF OUTSTANDING COURT WARRANTS
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. ACCEPT report prepared by the Office of the Sheriff apprising the Board of the
activities and success to date in reducing the number of outstanding court warrants
under the Warrant Service Unit Pilot Program.
2. ACKNOWLEDGE that using a four-pronged approach including education and
training, proactive warrant investigations, public involvement, and partnerships with
allied agencies, the Warrant Service Unit has facilitated a reduction in outstanding
warrants of 8 112% (from 32,753 to 29,974) between January and May 2003.
3. RECOGNIZE that 52 felony warrants were cleared between January and May 2003,
resulting in multiple arrests including individuals wanted in relation to a string of
robberies, and a murder that occurred in Brentwood 28 years ago.
4. REQUEST the Sheriff's Office to work with the County Administrator to develop
advertising on the County's web page for the Tip Hotline, and to work with local
Neighborhood Watch programs and mobile home parks to increase public awareness
of the pilot program and tip hotline.
5. REQUEST the Sheriff's Office to report back to the Internal Operations Committee in
approximately 50 days with another update.
BACKGROUND:
On December 17, 2002, the Board of Supervisors requested the Sheriff to make a report in
six months to the Internal Operations Committee on the pilot program to reduce the number
of outstanding felony warrants in this county, and directed the IOC to report back to the
Board of Supervisors if it believes that program adjustments are warranted.
On July 7, 2003, the IOC received the attached report from the Sheriff's Office outlining
activities and success to date, and actions planned for the future. Continuing to conduct
coordinated multi-agency sweeps and use improved data contained and distributed in
Outstanding Warrant Lists (OWLS) is expected to produce on ongoing positive effect on the
number of outstanding warrants. In addition to the actions recommended by the Sheriff, the
IOC recommends more targeted marketing efforts to increase public awareness and
educationabout the outstanding warrant problem, the Warrant Service Unit Pilot Program,
and what citizens can do to assist local law enforcement agencies in this regard.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ct, `COMMENIA (3N OF BOARD COMMI
--APPROVE OTHER\
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SIGNATURE(S�-: 2� j ✓�' �`nr ✓ ! ' f
G. LE B. UIL EMA, Chair /FED E L D. GLOVER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - -----------------------------------------------------------
ACTION OF BOARD ON HUY, 15, 2GW APPROVE AS RECOMMENDED XOTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
UNANIMOUS(ABSENT IV ) AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE
AYES: NOES: SHOWN.
ABSENT: ABSTAIN:
DISMICT III SEAT VW ATTESTED:JULY 15,2009
CONTACT: JULIE ENEA (925)335-1077
JOHN SWEETEN,CLERK OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
CC: INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE STAFF
SHERIFF-CORONER(WARRANT SERVICE UNIT) r '
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BY :. 1 ` �~" �PEPUTY
Office of the Sheriff Warren E. RuR.f
SHERIFF
Contra Costa County
Technical Services Division .�, Ronald D.Jarrell
920 Mellus StreetUndersheri
Martinez, Ca 94553
(925)646-1767 V
(925)646-1769(Fax)
Date: June 2, 2003
To: Gayle B. Uilkema, Supervisor, Chairman Internal Operations Committee
Federal D. Clover, Supervisor, Internal Operations Committee i
From: Jim Nichols, Captain, Technical Services Division Commander .,
By; Mike Casten, Lieutenant, Technical Services Division
Subject: June 2043 IOC Report on The Warrant Backlog Status
Attached is the most current information the Office of the Sheriff Warrant Service Unit has compiled
on the status of the Warrant Backlog Project.
The report is broken into nine categories; Training, Warrants Sweeps, Warrant Service unit
Statistics, Unknown Precinct Warrants, We Tip Hotline, Sheriffs Web Page and E-Mail Tip Form,
Publicity, Charts and Graphs, Conclusion and Recommendation.
The Office of the Sheriff has used a four- pronged attack to reduce outstanding warrants in Contra
Costa County.
■ Education and Training
■ Proactive Warrant Operations/investigations
Public Involvement
■ Partnerships with Allied Agencies
We believe our efforts have facilitated the reduction of the outstanding warrants in Contra Costa
County from 32,753 outstanding warrants in January of 2003 to 29,974 outstanding warrants in May
of 2003. We are excited about and anticipate a further reduction of the warrant backlog in months to
come.
Memo Form OW BHH AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
WARRANT SERVICE UNIT
OVERVIEW
JANUARY 2003 - JUNE 200
Warren P. Rupf
Sheriff- Coroner
Prepared By Sheriff's Specialist S. Roseberry
Warrant Service Unit Report
January 2003 —June 2003
.............................
.............................
The Warrant Service Unit rewrote the current Office of the Sheriff Patrol Division Policy
to establish a greater emphasis on the service of outstanding warrants and the use of
the Outstanding Warrant List (OWL). The next step was to identify those agencies in the
County that were not using the Outstanding Warrants List (OWL). One of our goals was
to educate and train those agencies to printout and use the Outstanding Warrant List on
a weedy basis. The benefits of using the OWL is that agencies have an awareness of
the total number of outstanding warrants in their city and are better able to prioritize,
manage, and serve their outstanding warrants.
The following agencies received training to use the Outstanding Warrant List:
w Clayton Police Department
♦ Concord Police Department
♦ Martinez Police Department
♦ Moraga Police Department
♦ Contra Costa Sheriffs Office
♦ Richmond Police Department
♦ San Pablo Police Department
There are two screens in JAWS (JWS1 and JWS2) that were designed so law
enforcement could enter due diligence on the Mobile Data Computer (MDC) in their
vehicles. The Warrant Service Unit working with technical services reconfigured the
JWS1 and JWS2 screens for ease of use. The Warrant Service Unit then created a
training protocol that included: 1) a training video describing Serna Motions and the
importance of documented Due Diligence 2) a brief demonstration on how to use the
JWS1 and JWS2 screens which included handouts to use at the station houses. The
following agencies, divisions, units and personnel received JAWS training.
a Sheriffs Office Custody Alternative Facility
♦ Pittsburg Police Department
San Ramon Police Department
r Moraga Police Department
♦ Sheriffs Office Patrol Division
t
P .
Prior to the formation of the Warrant Service Unit there was no coordination of sweeps
within the Office of the Sheriff. To date our unit has facilitated four Warrant Sweeps
and participated in three U. S. Marshal Sweeps. A coordinated effort results in more
efficient usage of time and manpower. In facilitating sweeps this unit prioritizes the
warrants, determines the time and location of the sweep, assembles the wanted
person packages, recruits both deputies and reserves deputies to participate in the
sweep, and arranges for the transportation of subjects to the Martinez Detention
Facility.
The Warrant Service Unit has worked to establish a strong relationship with the United
States Marshal's Service. Our goal is to provide the Marshal's with high-risk felony
warrants and to coordinate the personnel within the Sheriffs Office to assist in the
sweeps. The U. S. Marshal's service holds sweeps on a monthly basis and focuses
their efforts solely on serious felony warrants. There are numerous advantages to
working with the US Marshal's Service. The U. S. Marshal's Service coordinates their
efforts with sixty-eight agencies within Northern California. This offers substantially
more manpower and coverage than the average sweep. The U. S. Marshal's provides
additional training to law enforcement personal at no cost to the agencies.
January
The Warrant Service Unit assisted the deputies at Valley Station by preparing 18
warrant packages for a mini-sweep, 3 warrants were successfully served, 7
attempts were made, and additional address information obtained.
The unit participated in the U. S. Marshal's Service Sweep in January of 2003.
This three-day sweep resulted in the apprehension of seventy-seven outstanding
fugitives, including 18 subjects with felony warrants from Contra Costa County.
February
The Warrant Service Unit facilitated and participated in a one-day sweep in Bay
Point. The sweep included 5 deputies, 1 sergeant, and 2 level one reserve
deputies. The sweep lasted a total of 6 hours, 57 warrants were attempted, 8
warrants cleared, 2 pending service and 3 warrants were cite released, in
addition as a result of the attempt warrant service, two subjects have contacted
the courts to clear their warrants.
March
The Warrant Service Unit provided the U. S. Marshal's with warrant packages
and coordinated sheriffs personnel for the March warrant sweep. The March
sweep was cancelled due to the outbreak of war in Iraq.
2
April
The Warrant Service Unit participated and facilitated in a one-day sweep in San
Pablo/Richmond. The sweep included seven deputies, one sergeant, and four
reserve deputies. Fifty-one warrants were attempted, seven subjects were
arrested on warrants and one subject was arrested on an on-view drug offense.
A total of eleven warrants were cleared because of the sweep. Two subjects' with
a total of three warrant turned themselves in the following day.
May
The Warrant Service Unit participated in a three-day warrant sweep with the U. S.
Marshal's in May 2003. For the first time in several years there were two teams
assigned to Contra Costa County. The Warrant Service Unit requested and
received additional resources from the Office of the Sheriff for the sweep, which
included the J-Team and the Weed and Seed Deputies. The Sheriff's deputies
teamed with off'icer's from the following agencies: Richmond Police Department,
San Pablo Police Department, Pinole Police Department, Contra-Costa-County
Probation and State Parole. A total of fifty arrests were made during the three-day
sweep. The two Contra Costa teams made approximately sixty warrant service
attempts and arrested ten subjects. On May 28�h the Warrant Service Unit and the
Bay Station deputies participated in a one-day sweep. during the sweep ten
warrants were served and fifty attempts were made.
June
The Warrant Service Unit participated in three-day sweep with the U.S. Marshal's
June 18th, 99th, 20th. A total of eleven warrants were served and fifty attempts
were made. One subject arrested during the sweep may be responsible for as
many as twenty robberies. While researching the Outstanding Warrant List the
Warrant Service Unit located an address for a PC 187 (murder)fugitive in the state
of Texas that fled Contra Mosta twenty-eight years ago. The Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) had been working on the case concurrently and the subject was
picked up on June 5#h 2003. He is currently in Texas awaiting extradition to
California. The June statistics include warrants served, cleared, and attempted
through June 20th 2003.
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...........................................................................................I...........
_ ....
_._.. ..........................._......_....................._..._................._._.
' ATTEMPTEDMONTH � CLEARED
JANUARY 18 32
FEBRUARY 17 83
MARCH 29 25
APRIL 33 84
MAY 32 110
JUNE 52 50
` ''
Differences between the number of attempted warrants versus cleared warrants can be affected
by many outside factors such as time of day the warrant is served, timeliness of information to the
whereabouts of the wanted subject and the age of the warrant
_ _ _ .
.................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
The Warrant Service Unit continues to research those warrants that appear on the
Unknown Precinct of the Outstanding Warrant List (OWL). We are in the process of
doing outreach work with law enforcement agencies within the state of California,
focusing on those counties that border Contra Costa County. Working with outside law
enforcement agencies we anticipate that a portion of those warrants outside of Contra
Costa County will be served. We have had success with the Vallejo Police Department.
At the end of April our unit sent seven felony warrants to Vallejo Police Department.
Vallejo was able to successfully serve three of those warrants.
...............................................I...
.
...................................................
Till
The We Tip Hotline became operational in April. To date we have received seven valid
calls. Two of those calls led to the capture of two Parolees at large. Both subjects were
located in the San Pablo area. One message was incomplete; the caller started to leave
a message prior to the beep. One caller left information on a Parolee at large wanted
out of Washington State, however he did not provide an address for the subject. We
received two calls where the subjects had warrants that had already been served.
One caller left a message with us and called Pinole Police Department. Pinole Police
Department picked up the subject. We have also received a number of hang-ups on the
hotline. So far no crank calls have been received. To make the Tip Hotline a success
requires the public involvement. To have a high level of public involvement we need
publicity to remind the community to utilize the We Tip Hotline.
4
The E-mail address became operational in April. To date we have received three E-
mails. Unfortunately the e-mail tip-forms were not completely filled out.
-.....................
..............................
The Warrant Service Unit worked with the Sheriffs Public Information Officer
Jimmy Lee and set up a reporter ride along in May. The ride along took place
on May 28th 2003. The Warrant Service Unit is researching and developing
media outlets to enlighten the public about our units efforts to reduce the number
of outstanding warrants in Contra Costa County. This includes spats to be run on
Contra Costa Television and in Movie Theaters informing the public about the
ways they can currently provide "tips" on wanted persons.
The implementation of the Warrant Tip Page and the Warrant Hotline appeared in the
following publications:
0312512003- San Ramon Valley Herald "Tip Line Targets Warrant Violators"
03/26/2003- Contra Costa Times "Hotline Established For Tips On Warrants"
5
2043 Outstanding Warrants
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6
Warrants By Age
35,000
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0 to 1 year 1 to 4 year 6 to 9 10 years or Total
years older Warrants
The age and number of felony and misdemeanor (to include infractions and
other)warrants are listed below. Warrant breakdown by age as of 01/0812003.
Warrant Age Misdemeanor Felony Total
0110812003 Infractions/Other
Less than one year old 4,860 1,065 5,925
One to four years old 11,300 814 12,114
Five to nine years old 9,146 684 9,830
Ten years or older 4,318 541 4,859
Total Active Warrants 29,624 3,104 32,728
Warrant breakdown by age as of 08/28/2003
Warrant Age Misdemeanor Felony Total
Infractions/Other
Less t m one year old 4,855 1,046 5,901
One to four years 10,568 843 11,411
Five to nine years old 7,340 689 8,029
Ten years or older 4,057 578 4,635
Total Active Warrants 26,820 3,156 29,976
7
.......................................
........................................
........................................
As of January 8, 2003 there were 32,728 outstanding warrants in Contra Costa County.
On May 28, 2003 there were 29,976 outstanding warrants in Contra Costa County. This
represents a substantial decrease of 2,752 warrants in a five-month period. There are a
number of reasons for the decline; five warrant sweeps in a five-month period, agencies
using their Outstanding Warrant Lists, subjects clearing their warrants upon receipt of
mandatory appearance notices and .fudges recalling warrants.
At this time all agencies have received training and are using their Outstanding Warrant
Lists(OWL). The agencies using the lists now have awareness of all the warrants that
they have issued and will be able to manage and serve their outstanding warrants more
effectively. This is a milestone.
All Sheriff's deputies have received JAWS Training and have viewed the Ventura
County Video outlining the importance of properly documented Due Diligence. Ideally
this will result in fewer Serna motions in the courtroom and a higher conviction rate.
The above mentioned training and the Warrant Service Units participation in warrant
sweeps should continue to have a positive effect on the number of warrants served in
Contra-Costa County.
__
.................................................................
.................................................................
..................................................................
♦ Continue to work toward resolving all JAWS problems
♦ Complete and implement a Due Diligence Protocol to be used by all law
enforcement agencies in Contra Costa County
♦ The warrant database needs to be reviewed for staleness.
♦ The Warrant Service Unit needs to continue to facilitate and participate in
warrant sweeps. Warrant sweeps have proven to be an extremely effective
method of utilizing personnel and time.
♦ Continued media publicity- as community involvement is essential
8