Dallas County commissioner: use public to nab ticket scofflaws and criminals*

August 12, 2010 -- Dallas County Commissioner Mike Cantrell wants to use the lure of reward money to nab some of the hundreds of ticket scofflaws who owe the county millions.

Cantrell says it can be done using the county's existing "Most Wanted" Web site that keeps track of everyone who owes the county money for Class C misdemeanor offenses.

He said those with active warrants for more serious misdemeanor offenses (Class A and B) can be added to the most wanted site. Cantrell wants to team up with Crime Stoppers to offer rewards for those who use the county's "Most Wanted" site to provide info about a suspect's whereabouts.

"That's the smart way to take these people off the streets," said Cantrell, who has led the charge in Dallas County to use technology for criminal justice purposes.

You've probably noticed that not everyone listed on the site has an accompanying photo. That's because right now the county can only use an existing jail mug if the person has been arrested before.
The county is still waiting on an attorney general's opinion asking to use people's driver's license photos if they haven't been arrested and don't have a jail mug shot.

Why is this important? Due to budget cuts, there might be fewer constable and sheriff's deputies out serving warrants in Dallas County. Using you, the public, to find these scofflaws is free and easy. Want to make some easy money?

By the way, you can also use this Web site to plug in your name to see if you have any outstanding tickets in Dallas County.

*Source:
Kevin Krause/Reporter

Lawson Road Resolution Recognizes Staff for Innovative Planning and Development

April 14, 2010 -- Lawson Road, a road that has been a major issue for Dallas County and Kaufman County was recognized Tuesday for Dallas County’s innovative planning and development that has expedited its much needed repair. The road is now in the design and engineering phase and is expected to be under construction within a few years all due to the tenacity of two Dallas County departments.

Dallas County Public Works staff, under the direction of Colonel Donald Holzwarth and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Civil Section, under the direction of Bob Schell, took an innovative approach by involving the Central Appraisal Districts to determine where the best fit for the county line would be, had it memorialized it by both counties and accomplished this feat without incurring the costs of surveying and years of court battling. Due to the persistence of these two departments, a request for funding through the Regional Transportation Council was made in a timely manner, facilitating its approval as of February 2010.

Since 2004, multiple complaints on the condition of the road and numerous reports of injuries and incidents have been brought to the attention of Dallas and Kaufman Counties, however since neither county could rightfully take responsibility of the road due to the county line dispute, such complaints have been filed to no avail.

Upon completion of said construction, the road will be under the responsibility of the Town of Sunnyvale for future maintenance.

City Of Dallas Joins Scofflaws Program

January 12, 2010 - The Commissioners Court passed a court order on Tuesday to add the City of Dallas to the Dallas County Scofflaw Program. City of Dallas joins the City of Garland, which was added last year.

The program blocks vehicle registration for those that have outstanding traffic citations and tickets. If a person attempts to register their vehicle with the County Tax Assessor-Collectors office, they’ll be denied until they pay the outstanding fines, as well as any other incurred fees.

The County Tax Assessor/Collector will charge $5.24 per vehicle record eligible for flagging and for those records that cannot be flagged, they will be listed on the Dallas County Wanted website for $1 per record.

Scofflaws Program Presses Forward Since Launch

December 7, 2009 - This past July proved to be a month of new strategies for Dallas County and its approach to collecting unpaid fines and fees owed to the county, totaling more than $210 million.

The Scofflaw Program, which has been active for approximately nine months, is a program that blocks vehicle registration for those that have outstanding traffic citations and tickets. If a person attempts to register their vehicle with the County Tax Assessor-Collectors office, they’ll be denied until they pay the outstanding fines, as well as any other incurred fees.

Since the program’s commencement, about 660 people have been turned away at the registration counter. If about half or more pay what is owed, more than $100,000+ will be generated, a major success for the program itself.  And while the Scofflaw program is still in its formative phase, it is certain to grow to become a critical tool within Dallas County.

In the event that someone has questions about their citations, fines and fees, they are directed to a new website, also introduced earlier this year, called Dallas County Wanted. The website allows the user to determine where they owe money, how much money is owed, for what specific offense and where they can go to take care of the tickets.

JFK Museum’s Archives Get a New Home

August 18, 2009 -- As a means to heighten Dallas’ important historical landmarks, the Sixth Floor Museum will soon add a “Resource Center” to the county administration building where it will be located on the first floor.

The Resource Center will be a collection of approximately 35,000 items that include vital records of the JFK assassination such as audio, video and documentary archival material available to students and guests alike.

As expressed by the museum’s executive director Nicola Langford, the importance of the reading room has become more significant as the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination rapidly approaches. “We are contacted by researchers all over the world. We really want to promote this important historical landmark.” she stated.

For those interested in using the new reading and media room upon its completion, the use of the facility will be monitored and managed by appointment only, Monday thru Friday, 12PM – 5PM and can be arranged through the Sixth Floor Museum office.

411 Elm St.
Dallas, TX 75202
(214) 747-6660
www.jfk.org

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