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DeWine Creates Task Force On Arrest-Warrant System
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Gov. Mike DeWine has created a task force to study changes to Ohio’s arrest-warrant system after a newspaper identified numerous problems within the system.
Among issues before the task force are prioritizing warrants for serious offenders who pose threats to public safety, the huge number of outstanding warrants in Ohio, and best practices for serving outstanding warrants.
DeWine, a Republican serving his first term, wants recommendations by June or earlier.
The governor’s announcement this week follows a series of stories by The Columbus Dispatch last year that uncovered numerous flaws in Ohio’s and the country’s warrant systems.
The newspaper found more than 300,000 open-warrant cases in Ohio’s six largest urban counties and six central Ohio suburban counties. That included more than 23,000 warrants in cases involving violence or weapons.