By Will Bryant
Staff Writer
On Jan. 1, Chief District Court Judge Joe Buckner closed satellite magistrate offices in Chapel Hill and Siler City except for on-call service for warrant-seeking law-enforcement officers at specific late-night hours.
The closing of the magistrate offices comes in an effort by the Administrative Office of the Courts to reduce the state’s anticipated 2011-12 budget by nearly $40 million.
The changes will cause Chapel Hill, Carrboro and UNC police officers to commute to Hillsborough in order to obtain warrants and process suspects.
Newly appointed Chapel Hill police Chief Chris Blue said that while it’s too early to fully see the effects of the closings, he believes the cutbacks could cause some major issues.
“Our biggest concerns focus on staff time spent going to Hillsborough,†Blue said. “There will be some issues with officers working overtime.â€
Carrboro police Sgt. Chris Atack said local police will try to cut transportation costs by carpooling suspects to and from the magistrate office in Hillsborough.
“There is a lot being taken into consideration in terms of gas use and wear and tear on vehicles. It’s going to be difficult,†said Atack. “We’re trying to double up if possible … but sometimes it will work out and sometimes it won’t.â€
To help reduce the number of officers making the commute, Atack says the police plan to use video conferencing technology between departments and the magistrate offices.
“The system would be a lot like Skype,†Atack said. “It would obviously reduce the amount of transportation.†Atack said the change will cause officers in Chapel Hill and Carrboro to make fewer arrests and write more citations.
“I think we will see officers using more discretion in making arrests,†Atack said, “especially in the case where the public isn’t in immediate danger.â€