ROBSTOWN, Texas — Robstown police are warning residents with outstanding municipal warrants to take care of them now before officers begin a warrant roundup next week.
Beginning Oct. 12, Robstown Police Chief Mike Tamez said additional officers will be out during the day and at night specifically looking for people with active warrants.
“We will have officers out day and night doing nothing but trying to clear these warrants,” Tamez said. “The goal of this is not to put people in jail, and the goal is certainly not to raise revenue. It’s to get folks out to municipal court and just take care of your responsibilities.”
The roundup comes after the city was unable to participate in its typical annual warrant roundup earlier this year. Tamez said infrastructure and resource issues contributed to the delay before the municipal court recently approached police about moving forward with the effort.
Ahead of the roundup, city officials are encouraging anyone who believes they may have an outstanding warrant to contact the Robstown Municipal Court and resolve it voluntarily.
Residents can call the court at 361-387-4589 and select Option 4 to check for a warrant. They can also visit the Municipal Court at City Hall on East Main Street, while some violations can be paid online.
Tamez stressed that residents who cannot afford to pay the full amount may still have options through the court, including payment plans and community service.
“There are payment programs, there’s community service, there’s different opportunities,” Tamez said. “It’s not just about recouping money. That’s not what this is about. This is about taking care of some responsibility.”
Tamez said the judge is willing to work with people to find ways to satisfy outstanding warrants. He also said the court plans to extend its hours on some days during the enforcement effort, potentially remaining open as late as 10 p.m.
Police officers will also be stationed at City Hall to call people with outstanding warrants and encourage them to come to court.
Tamez said avoiding arrests benefits both residents and officers. Taking someone to jail on a municipal warrant can tie up an officer and contribute to delays in responding to other calls, he said.
The department conducted its last roundup more than a year ago. Tamez described that effort as somewhat successful, saying a number of people voluntarily addressed their warrants while police made some arrests. He expects more officers to participate this time.
The city's message is part of an effort called “A Stronger Robstown Together,” with officials urging residents to handle their warrants before enforcement begins.
“If you were given a citation, you can either go down, plead not guilty, fight the case, or if you’re guilty, just go down, take care of the warrant,” Tamez said. “Nothing good is going to come out of us having to arrest you and take you to jail.”
For Tamez, the advice is straightforward: deal with the warrant before an encounter with police turns it into a trip to jail.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
