Local News - February 2003

City to go online with warrants

By ALICE SMITH, LTN Staff Writer

February 17, 2003 - The Lincolnton Police Department is taking steps to gain online access to the statewide magistrate’s system, a move that is making some tasks quicker and safer.

The Lincolnton City Council Thursday authorized police Chief Terry Burgin to sign an agreement with the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts, which provides this service.

As soon as training is completed, which Burgin said will be at the end of February, Lincolnton police officers will be able to go online and submit affidavits and warrants to the magistrate’s office.

An offender’s court history can be looked up before he or she appears at the magistrate’s office, giving the magistrate more time to consider the bigger picture, Burgin said.

“This gives the magistrate an opportunity to scrutinize and review the information,” Burgin said.

The new system will save time for the officers, magistrates and those arrested, Burgin said.

It also provides a much safer environment, since offenders will not be waiting in line to see the magistrate for extended periods of time. The information will have already been received and reviewed by the magistrate.

“It’s safer simply because these three groups of people — the officers, the arrested and the public — will not be gathering at the magistrate’s office for a longer period of time,” Burgin said.

In addition, the system will speed up due process for the defendant, Burgin said, and will put officers or investigators back on the street quicker.

“There is just an unlimited number of positive things resulting from the system,” Burgin said.

Gaining access to the online system will cost the police department nothing, since equipment is already in place.

The AOC is providing free training to certain officers, who will in turn train the rest of the department, Burgin said.

The online system became available in April 2002. Only several law enforcement agencies in North Carolina have gone online so far. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is not currently using the system.

The convenience of online systems is becoming more and more popular in law enforcement agencies.

The Lincolnton Police Department will also soon be implementing the use of e-citations, Burgin said.

When an officer makes a traffic stop, he or she can go online, type in all the information, and print off a citation right from their patrol cars.

The ticket will be automatically transferred to the AOC.

It currently takes three to four days for a citation to get to the Clerk of Court’s office, Burgin said, which means the e-citations will save a significant amount of time.

He hopes officers will begin using e-citations sometime this fall.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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