Police hold 80,000 unexecuted warrants

More than 80,000 outstanding warrants are now in the hands of police officers in police stations throughout the country. Some of the warrants are collecting dust and are yet to be executed. The massive backlog prompted an islandwide exercise which started around 2 am on Thursday and ended at midday. Two hundred and eighty persons were arrested in that exercise for robberies and possession of narcotics, while 318 warrants were executed in the same exercise. Deputy Commissioner Oswyn Allard, who spearheaded the exercise, said he was pleased with the outcome of the exercise, which also led to the recovery of one gun and two stolen vehicles.

He was high in praise of the officers who carried out their duties in inclement weather. He also said that in the coming months similar exercises would continue throughout the country. Court and process officers confirmed yesterday that the backlog of warrants was a cause for concern, noting that some warrants were several years old. Officers added that people just could not be located in a number of instances. Some of the major offences include failure to pay court fines and maintenance.