Thumb Award UNWARRANTED POLICY: SAVING BUCKS BY FREEING CROOKS

Thumbs Down to the Dallas City Manager’s Office for streamlining bureaucracy in the wrong place. When the city handed to traffic cops the duty of picking up and jailing individuals wanted on warrants, it sounded like a good idea: The warrants department could be downgraded and taxpayers’ dollars would be saved. The problem, it seems, is that the traffic cops were none too happy about their new responsibility: A recent survey by the Dallas News revealed that during a single week, police allowed more than 100 persons with outstanding warrants to go scot-free after being stopped for minor traffic violations. Some of them were carrying warrants for felonies. The reason? The traffic cops didn’t run a computer check on the individuals because if it turned up a warrant, they’d have had to take the time to run the suspect in and book him. The traffic cops have a legitimate beef: They’re supposed to enforce traffic laws, not run a taxi service for wanted felons. Rather than downgrading the warrants office, the city probably should upgrade it. Even in rough economic times, the one thing taxpayers don’t mind paying more for is a safe city.