For adults, the change eventually should prod more people into coming to court, says Leticia Smith, chief administrator of municipal court. There, they are evaluated by Wisconsin Correctional Service for ability to pay and eligibility for treatment or community service as payment alternatives, Smith says. Now if they miss court, warrants are routinely issued. Warrants are not actively served, but if police stop a minor who has an open warrant they will bring the juvenile immediately to municipal court if it's in session, she says. Smith says limitations of the court's computer system prevent her from saying whether the rate of fine payments is up or down under quality of life policing.
Many people pay over a period of several years.
Defiance Debated Chief Jones generally declines comment on the workings of municipal court. Despite the low compliance rate on tickets, Jones says, punishment still looms in the form of jail time for scofflaws if they come into contact with police and are wanted on municipal warrants. He also stresses that ticket stops are as much about educating people in civilized behavior as they are a financial penalty. One local expert on crime and policing argues that low payment rates and the surge in obstruction cases are signs that people are too poor to pay them or think the ticketing is unfairly focused on minority communities. If the community views police as unfair, policing won't work.