On Tuesday, I asked several city officials one very simple question: Just how effective are these "warrant roundups"? Because, as we noted, bright and early Sunday morning the Dallas City Marshal's Office will hit the streets yet again to go after scofflaws with unpaid citations, threatening everything from putting a hold on their vehicle registrations to tossing 'em in the pokey. Yet there are thousands upon thousands of folks who remain on the city's most-wanted-ish list roundup after roundup, many owing well into the four and five figures.
Finally, late yesterday, I got this response from Gloria López Carter, director of the city's Court & Detention Services:
In the last statewide 2010 roundup we arrested approximately 100 people, a relatively small number. However, the purpose of the roundup is to increase compliance; increase the number of people who pay their fines before police come to their home or workplace and arrest them. Thus, we estimate the City brought in approximately $400,000 in our last statewide 2010 roundup, above and beyond the usual collections.
