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WEBVTT REPORTER: THE PROGRAM HAS BEENSUCCESSFUL IN ANNE ARUNDELCOUNTY FOR THE LAST SEVERALYEARS, NOW OTHER JURISTICTIONSLIKE HOWARD COUNTY ARE GIVING ITA TRY.IT IS DOWN TO THE WIRE TO FILEYOUR TAXES.BUT THOSE WHO FILE IN MARYLAND,AND WHO HAVE A CRIMINAL ARRESTWARRANT OPEN, MIGHT GETSOMETHING INSTEAD OF THEIR TAXREFUND.>> WE SEND THEM A VERY NICELETTER SAYING WE'RE GONNA HOLDUP YOUR REFUND UNTIL YOU GO ANDGET THIS ARREST WARRANT CLEARED.REPORTER: THAT'S THANKS TO A NEWSTATE LAW.HOWARD COUNTY IS ONE OF THEJURISTICTIONS TRYING IT FOR THEFIRST TIME.>> THE GOAL IS TO HOLD PEOPLEACCOUNTABLE THE GOAL IS TO GETTHESE WARRANTS SERVED AND TO DOIT EFFECTIVELY BUT ALSO SAFELYREPORTER: THE HOWARD COUNTYSHERIFF'S OFFICE AND POLICDEPARTMENT BOTH SENT LISTS OFTHOSE WITH OPEN WARRANTS TO THECOMPTROLLER'S OFFICE WHO THENSENDS THE LETTER IF THAT PERSONIS DUE A REFUND.OF THE 20 LETTERS THAT HAVE GONEOUT SO FAR, 6 HAVE BEENRESOLVED.>> I THINK IT'S MUCH EASIER ANMUCH SAFER FOR EVERYBODY WHEPEOPLE SCHEDULE THEMSELVES TO BETURNED IN WHICH THIS PROGRAMFORCES PEOPLE TO DO RATHER THANHAVE OUR DEPUTIES KNOCK ON DOORSIN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ANDPEOPLE'S TENSIONS BEINGHEIGHTENED AND POSSIBLY HAVING ABAD OUTCOME THERE.REPORTER: IN THE PAST, HOWARDCOUNTY HAS WORKED WITH THE MVATO SUSPEND THE LISCENSES OFFOLKS WITH OUTSTANDING WARRANTS,BUT COMPTROLLER PETER FRANCHTHINKS THIS APPROACH MAY BE MOREEFFECTIVE.>> PEOPLE WHO ARE IN TROUBLEWITH THE LAW SOMETIMES THEY OBEYTHE LAWS AS FAR AS THE MVA ANDSOMETIMES THEY DON'T BUT THEYWANT THEIR MONEY.REPORTER: THE SHERIFF IS HOPINGIT WILL HELP CLEAR WARRANTS BUTALSO HELP IN THE NAME OFJUSTICE.>> I THINK VICTIMS NEED SOMECLOSURE THAT WHEN SOMEBODY THATAFFECTED THEM OR A LOVED ONE INTHEIR FAMILY WAS SENTENCED THATPEOPLE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FORTHOSE THINGS.REPORTER: THE COMPTROLLER'

Advertisement State refunds to be withheld from those with open warrants in Howard County Program a partnership between police, sheriff's office, state comptroller Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Howard County residents with open warrants will have their state tax refunds withheld, police said.Download the WBAL app.Howard County police said the initiative is part of an agreement between the county Sheriff’s Office and Police Department and the Maryland Comptroller’s Office. The program calls for state taxes to be withheld until outstanding warrants against the filer have been satisfied.According to the Sheriff’s Office, the county has 349 open warrants for people who did not appear for court, violated their probation or committed other court violations.The Police Department said that it has 1,665 open bench warrants for people who failed to appear in District Court or violated probation for various criminal violations and serious traffic charges.“This arrangement provides our deputies with one more mechanism to ensure that the orders of the Circuit Court are complied with,” Howard County Sheriff William J. McMahon said in a statement. “Some of these cases involve felons who have not shown up for sentencing, or have violated the terms of their probation. Serving these warrants not only holds offenders accountable, it also brings closure to victims.”The Sheriff’s Office began sending information to the Comptroller’s Office a number of weeks ago, and to date, 17 residents have received letters informing them that their state refunds are being withheld until they clear up their open warrants.The Sheriff’s Office said that of those, five have already contacted the Sheriff’s Office to satisfy their requirements.Police are sending their current open bench warrant list to the state and will soon know how many of those Marylanders have filed for refunds, but will be receiving letters from the comptroller instead.“This program is a great way to locate people who need to clear up their records,” Howard County Police Chief Gary L. Gardner said in a statement. “While some people do intentionally fail to show up for court, others may have moved to new addresses and may not even realize their names are on this list. Our hope is that this program will encourage people to come forward.”The agreement allowing collaboration between law enforcement and the Comptroller’s Office was passed in 2016 in Maryland Senate Bill 425.Police said this partnership is just the latest example of law enforcement agencies in Howard County working with the state to help satisfy open warrants.For about 10 years, both the Howard County Sheriff’s Office and Police Department have sent information to the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) about people who have outstanding arrest warrants for more than 30 days.The MVA suspends the licenses of those drivers and notifies them that they must clear up their warrants in order to reinstate a valid driver’s license.Also on WBALTV.com: