[May 12, 2016, Bel Air, MD] On Tuesday, Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler and other Sheriffs from around the state joined Delegate Teresa Riley, District 35, and Senator Ed Riley, District 33, as Governor Hogan signed the Statewide Warrant Intercept Bill into law. This program is modeled after an effective program currently utilized throughout the State of Maryland that withholds services provided by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration until the wanted person’s obligations have been met and the arrest warrant served.
The “Warrant Intercept Program”, established in 2012, by members of the Anne Arundel County delegation, authorizes an official of the federal, state, or local government, charged with serving a criminal arrest warrant to certify to the Comptroller that an individual has an outstanding warrant and request the Comptroller withhold the individual’s income tax refund. This legislation applies to individuals who are residents of Harford County or have an outstanding warrant from any Maryland county and are residents of the State of Maryland.
Other counties followed suit in recent years, and the legislation expanded to include Baltimore City and Washington County. Harford County Delegate Teresa Riley thinks “this bill makes meaningful improvements for Maryland law enforcement and changes a culture that has rewarded those who have historically avoided prosecution.” Delegate Riley applauds Sheriff Gahler for his work on this commonsense legislation and for strengthening the safety and security of his community.
On any given day, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office has approximately 2,500 active arrest warrants. Of the program, Gahler commented, “It is my strong belief that this program will be beneficial in helping reduce the current number of warrants and provide an incentive for citizens to address warrants in a timely manner when they are issued. I am deeply appreciative of the efforts of our local delegation with the exception of one member, Delegate Glen Glass, who worked to derail this common sense effort and remained directly opposed to most every matter supportive of public safety considered in Annapolis this past session.”