The Benton Police Department is joining forces with the Saline County Sheriff’s Office in the Holiday Helper Program, which is an effort to reduce the backlog of current unserved warrants. From Dec. 14-23 non-violent warrant holders can let some stress go knowing that this is their opportunity to pay their warrant fee and just receive a new court date.
If the non-violent warrant is for failure to appear then that person’s driver’s license is also suspended. But if you make contact with us to take care of the warrant, the process of reinstating their driver’s license will begin. Also, the Holiday Helper Program will not be allowed if they are caught by an officer instead of turning themselves in prior to being apprehended.
For those who chose to participate in the program, here are the steps to take:
1.Proceed to the Benton Police Department, located at 114 S. East St. or go to the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, located at 735 S. Neeley St. in Benton, depending on the agency issuing the warrant.
2.Provide proof of identification with a photo ID.
3.Once the non-violent misdemeanor warrant has been located, you will be provided a date to appear in court.
4.Then proceed to the window and pay a $50 warrant fee.
5.Once the warrant fee has been paid, you will be free leave the lobby area.
If the matter is not cleared up during this time frame, the warrant holder will be taken into custody and there will be more, separate, fees to pay. By contacting us individuals may avoid additional fees such as the impounding of a vehicle during an arrest on a traffic stop. Those with warrants can help eliminate an embarrassing situation of being arrested in front of friends or family during the holidays, or by being contacted at your place of employment, if you participate in the Holiday Helper Program.
After Dec. 23, anybody with a warrant will once again look at facing jail time when they are caught, regardless if it’s a non-violent offense or not, so now is the perfect time to eliminate the worry by handling the matter now. A warrant sweep will also be conducted in January to arrest the most serious offenders with warrants.
Anyone with information about someone with a warrant is encouraged to contact the Benton Police Department at 778-1171 or 315-TIPS. Individuals also may send an anonymous tip to CRIMES (274637) with the keyword BNPD in the body of the text. An anonymous crime tip can also be submitted via the official Benton Police Department app found on iTunes and Google Play.
