Friend of the Court Warrants Unit

Oakland County Sheriff's Office, Technical Services

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office Friend of the Court Warrants Unit investigates, apprehends and transports individuals wanted for violation of court orders relating to child support, alimony and visitation. 

In the 2006 year, Oakland County saw a marked increase in Friend of the Court (F.O.C.) bench warrants issued with each investigator in the unit assigned to over 80 new cases per month.

Several changes were made in the F.O.C. Enforcement Unit operation to promote effectiveness.  The most successful change implemented was the large scale use of "Wanted Posters" being sent to subjects with recently issued warrants.  The project was launched in April, and by the end of the year over 3,400 had been sent out resulting in hundreds of individuals turning themselves in or making payments.  With the Unit's large caseload it has become an effective means of dealing with subjects who live out-of-state or might be at any one of several addesses (often hundreds of miles apart).

The other success has been working open warrants in distant areas when investigators are sent to pick up prisoners.  Files of open warrants are maintained sorted by geographic area.  Whenever a prisoner pick-up to a distant county takes place, the two investigators take time to attempt to locate subjects along the route or near the destination.  This has resulted in several arrests and an excellent use of travel time and expense.