Project Description

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Harris County experienced a rise in violent crime, resulting in an increase in warrants issued and an accumulation of outstanding warrants. The Harris County Violent Persons Warrants Task Force is a multi-agency task force led by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in collaboration with Harris County Constables that seeks to address the backlog in outstanding warrants and reduce extradition costs through accelerated execution of warrants related to the most violent offenses. Outstanding warrants for offenders accused of aggravated offenses and murder are prioritized. American Rescue Plan funding for the program supports personnel costs and equipment required for the Task Force.

In March of 2022, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office had 50,247 outstanding warrants. Of these outstanding warrants, 4,833 were for aggravated offenses and 703 warrants were for murder. Prior to 2019, the Criminal Warrants Division received between 3,000 and 4,000 warrants per month. Following the spike in criminal activity during the pandemic, in 2022 the Criminal Warrants Division received an average of 6,000 new warrants per month.

Prioritization of warrants for aggravated offenses and murders will improve community safety, reduce opportunities for recidivism, and reduce overall violent crime rates.