Atlantic County collected $11,131 in owed child support during a three-day statewide sweep last week, Atlantic County Sheriff and Statewide Sheriff's Association of New Jersey (SANJ) President Frank X. Balles announced on Friday, June 6.

In all, 40 warrants were issued and $292,394.64 in child support is owed throughout the county, Balles said. Statwide, $264,614.02 of the owed $20,152,587.29 was collected, and 1,056 warrants were issued. The goal of the three-day intensive non-support sweep is to apprehend non-custodial parents who have failed to pay their court-ordered child support. Additional targets included parents who have failed to appear at court hearings to establish a child support order or order for medical support, Balles said. The Atlantic County component is known as "Operation Summer $um," Balles said.

SANJ is the lead organization on the sweep, which is held in cooperation with the New Jersey Office of Child Support Services, Balles said. Locally, 30 people were arrested on child support warrants, 24 of whom failed to make payment and were lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility. Six criminal fugitives were also arrested, and eight municipal warrants were cleared by arrest, Balles said.

"One of the mandated duties of my office is to be vigilante in the timely execution of child support warrants issued by the Court," Balles said. "This office will continue to team with all of the Sheriff's Offices in New Jersey to routinely participate in statewide raids organized to arrest those people wanted by the Family Court for failure to pay their Court Ordered Child Support." Sheriff's Officers from statewide Sheriffs' Offices, with assistance from other agencies, canvassed the state in search of offenders over the course of the three-day Child Support Sweep, Balles said.

With the final event to ever be held having taken place in Atlantic City in April, Balles spoke about the need to apprehend those dodging Child Support payments.

"The purpose of (Fugitive Safe Surrender) was to help those individuals in the state of New Jersey who had outstanding warrants to safely turn themselves in, so that their warrants were lifted and their cases were resolved," Balles said. "Unfortunately, there are still many individuals who owe child support and did not take advantage of that opportunity. During the Child Support Sweep this week, Sheriffs' Officers were sent out to execute these active warrants in an effort to help the children of New Jersey get the support they need."

He added that even though Fugitive Safe Surrender and the statewide child support sweep programs are both finished, anyone who owes child support and/or has a warrant out for their arrest, is encouraged to turn themselves in at their local Sheriff's Office in an effort to resolve their matters with the court. Those owing child support are urged to contact Atlantic County Child Support Enforcement at 609-345-6700, ext. 3551 to make arrangements for payment.