Numbers for warrant redemption program lag this year
By Emily Alpert
Staff Writer
Gilroy – With just days before the program is due to expire, the “Second Chance” program has cleared half as many warrants as last year, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
“Second Chance” allows Santa Clara County residents to redeem nonviolent misdemeanor criminal and traffic warrants, trading the threat of arrest for a citation and a new court date. From Dec. 1 to Dec. 31, residents can go to any county law enforcement agency and self-surrender, wiping the slate clean on their outstanding warrant. Felony warrants and warrants for violent crimes, such as assault or resisting arrest, are not eligible for the program.
Last December, 522 people took advantage of the new month-long program, which was limited to the county Sheriff’s Office. This year, with all local law enforcement agencies on board, at least 240 people have cleared their warrants. In Gilroy, seven have walked through the Gilroy Police Department’s doors. That’s less than half last year’s total, despite efforts by the Sheriff’s Office to publicize the program.
The skimpy numbers could be a reporting error, said Michelle Covarrubias, Sheriff’s Office Records Manager. Though law enforcement agencies are supposed to report their “Second Chance” warrants to the Sheriff’s Office on a weekly basis, not every agency has done so.
Emily Alpert covers public safety issues for The Dispatch. She can be reached at 847-7158, or at ea*****@************ch.com.
