Prince George’s County Sheriff Michael A. Jackson, celebrating one year on the job he’s always wanted, reported yesterday that the backlog of warrants has dropped 10,000 and that a new unit has been formed to stop domestic violence.
“The number of warrants on hand has been decreased from 38,000 in December of 2002 to 28,000 at this time,” Sheriff Jackson declared with a smile.
Meanwhile, the domestic-violence unit is the first in Maryland. Its deputies are on the job 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to respond instantly to calls about fights among family members.
“We recognize the importance of that,” Sheriff Jackson said, emphasizing that such disputes often develop into violent crimes.
Vast quantities of unserved warrants have been an issue in the past two elections and since 1997, when longtime Sheriff James Aluisi fought the county government, which had decreased the sheriff’s budget from $16.1 million to $8.3 million.
Sheriff Aluisi, who had hired Sheriff Jackson as a deputy in the early 1990s, retired, and Alonzo D. Black was elected sheriff in 1998. By then, unserved warrants had increased to 39,800.
The number had dropped to 38,000 when Sheriff Jackson was elected and took charge on Dec. 2, 2002.
“I always wanted to be sheriff,” he said yesterday, and the many problems encouraged rather than deterred him as he put a five-year plan in place.
Morale was bad. The staff had declined from 240 deputies and 93 civilian employees to 138 deputies and 80 civilians. Computers were needed, and some employees brought their personal computers to work.
“The morale has changed tremendously,” said Sheriff Jackson, who reduced overtime by $600,000 while bringing in 50 computers and ordering 50 more.
Sheriff Jackson’s budget is up to $19.5 million, and he is asking for $1.9 million more for additional improvements and to expand the staff to 268 deputies and 120 civilians.
Many old warrants were thrown out “through housekeeping” and in cooperation with court officials in the District, Virginia and Maryland, Sheriff Jackson said, explaining that cases had been closed, witnesses and subjects had died, or charges dismissed.
Hiring 11 more deputies will enable the Prince George’s Sheriff’s Office to reduce the unserved warrants even more, while serving the 1,800 new warrants issued each month by county courts and some police, said Sheriff Jackson.
In October, the Maryland State and Park and Planning Police cooperated with Sheriff Jackson to conduct 11 nights of “criminal warrant sweeps” in communities with the most wanted.
Big plans are in the offing. Sheriff Jackson wants to move his office from 1601 McCormick Drive in Largo, where it has been since July 2, 2002, back into Upper Marlboro, close to the courthouse. The courthouse is being enlarged to facilitate 21 new courtrooms, which will require more deputies and four more security officers.
“The sheriff’s office needs to be where the courts are,” Sheriff Jackson said.
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