'84 Warrant Leads to Jail Cell

You might not want to cruise if have any outstanding warrants. It
appears the US government is running everyone through crime databases
when you go on a cruise. Below is a link from a story in todays
Washington Post about a fellow who was arrested on debakation day on a
Disney cruise ship at Port Canaveral. He had an outstanding warrant for
violating parole from stealing hubcaps twenty years ago. The Washington
Post web site requires registration.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12023-2004Jul24.html

--
Charles

Anyone entering the country has their name run through the data base and if
you have an outstanding warrant you are certainly subject to arrest. Last
flight I was on from the Bahamas had one arrested before he could deplane in
Baltimore and this was a chartered (Apple Vacations) flight. They announced
that upon landing that everyone was to remain in their seats even though the
door was open as the police were coming onboard. Took the guy off in
handcuffs.


"Charles" wrote in message
d...
You might not want to cruise if have any outstanding warrants. It
appears the US government is running everyone through crime databases
when you go on a cruise. Below is a link from a story in todays
Washington Post about a fellow who was arrested on debakation day on a
Disney cruise ship at Port Canaveral. He had an outstanding warrant for
violating parole from stealing hubcaps twenty years ago. The Washington
Post web site requires registration.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12023-2004Jul24.html

--
Charles

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 17:37:18 -0400, Charles
wrote:

You might not want to cruise if have any outstanding warrants. It
appears the US government is running everyone through crime databases
when you go on a cruise. Below is a link from a story in todays
Washington Post about a fellow who was arrested on debakation day on a
Disney cruise ship at Port Canaveral. He had an outstanding warrant for
violating parole from stealing hubcaps twenty years ago. The Washington
Post web site requires registration.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12023-2004Jul24.html


This is nothing new, it's just a bit more intensified than it used to
be and a newspaper decided to make it a story...people get grabbed
this way every day at airports.

I'd say there are more people arrested for outstanding warrants when
they hit Customs or Immigration than ever get nabbed for smuggling.

Here's the basic drill: Your name and other relevant data is matched
against NCIC (National Crime Information Computer) when the nice guy
or gal punches all your data in or swipes your passport through the
reader or when the manifest is processed.

If a warrant comes up, congratulations, you just won a short to long
stay while things get sorted out, just like when a traffic cop stops
you and runs your license and registration.

You gwt held, while the agency or police department issuing the
warrant gets contacted to verify the validity of the warrant and
extradition status. If they want you, you get kept until they arrange
to come get you or otherwise have you sent back to their jurisdiction
or cut loose if they decide they don't want you that badly (transport
across country ain't cheap and extradition hearings aren't either.

Border control doesn't make the call, the cop, detective or D.A. at
the warrant end decides if you get kept or cut loose. It's
non-discretionary on the inspector's part and a pain in the rear for
possibly minor stuff. The rules say there has to be a decision within
a very reasonable period of time (I'm not sure if the exact length of
time is public knowledge) but meanwhile arrest protocols have to be
followed and they suck up time and energy.

You can blame local and state law enforcement for much of this. They
have an obligation to clear old warrants and no longer wanted people
out of the system and to annotate stuff promptly (like specifying that
they will not extradite if nailed outside their jurisdiction) in NCIC
but many places just never get caught up or never bother.

Even Federal warrants work this way, you get held while the duty agent
or U.S. attorney on duty in the proper area or agency gets rousted out
to make the final decision.

Congress and the Pres. set the law on this, the people on the line
don't get to make policy on this stuff. if you get a "hit" on someone
and let them go, you're likely to have one hell of a lot of explaining
to do and probably will be kissing your pension goodbye.

If you have old warrants (or new ones) don't run red lights, don't
start bar fights and don't try to leave the country and come back in
again. These are the kind of things that draw attention to you.

Jim P.

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 17:37:18 -0400, Charles
wrote:

You might not want to cruise if have any outstanding warrants. It
appears the US government is running everyone through crime databases
when you go on a cruise. Below is a link from a story in todays
Washington Post about a fellow who was arrested on debakation day on a
Disney cruise ship at Port Canaveral. He had an outstanding warrant for
violating parole from stealing hubcaps twenty years ago. The Washington
Post web site requires registration.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12023-2004Jul24.html


This is nothing new, it's just a bit more intensified than it used to
be and a newspaper decided to make it a story...people get grabbed
this way every day at airports.

I'd say there are more people arrested for outstanding warrants when
they hit Customs or Immigration than ever get nabbed for smuggling.

Here's the basic drill: Your name and other relevant data is matched
against NCIC (National Crime Information Computer) when the nice guy
or gal punches all your data in or swipes your passport through the
reader or when the manifest is processed.

If a warrant comes up, congratulations, you just won a short to long
stay while things get sorted out, just like when a traffic cop stops
you and runs your license and registration.

You gwt held, while the agency or police department issuing the
warrant gets contacted to verify the validity of the warrant and
extradition status. If they want you, you get kept until they arrange
to come get you or otherwise have you sent back to their jurisdiction
or cut loose if they decide they don't want you that badly (transport
across country ain't cheap and extradition hearings aren't either.

Border control doesn't make the call, the cop, detective or D.A. at
the warrant end decides if you get kept or cut loose. It's
non-discretionary on the inspector's part and a pain in the rear for
possibly minor stuff. The rules say there has to be a decision within
a very reasonable period of time (I'm not sure if the exact length of
time is public knowledge) but meanwhile arrest protocols have to be
followed and they suck up time and energy.

You can blame local and state law enforcement for much of this. They
have an obligation to clear old warrants and no longer wanted people
out of the system and to annotate stuff promptly (like specifying that
they will not extradite if nailed outside their jurisdiction) in NCIC
but many places just never get caught up or never bother.

Even Federal warrants work this way, you get held while the duty agent
or U.S. attorney on duty in the proper area or agency gets rousted out
to make the final decision.

Congress and the Pres. set the law on this, the people on the line
don't get to make policy on this stuff. if you get a "hit" on someone
and let them go, you're likely to have one hell of a lot of explaining
to do and probably will be kissing your pension goodbye.

If you have old warrants (or new ones) don't run red lights, don't
start bar fights and don't try to leave the country and come back in
again. These are the kind of things that draw attention to you.

Jim P.

Jim wrote:



If you have old warrants (or new ones) don't run red lights, don't
start bar fights and don't try to leave the country and come back in
again. These are the kind of things that draw attention to you.


Another problem is resident aliens returning from a cruise don't realize
that their immigration status is double checked on return. Typical problem
is a foreign citizen who came here years ago as a tourist or student, got
married, had kids and now gets the free bus ride to the Krome Avenue
detention camp. Happens several times a week in South Florida.

Jim wrote:



If you have old warrants (or new ones) don't run red lights, don't
start bar fights and don't try to leave the country and come back in
again. These are the kind of things that draw attention to you.


Another problem is resident aliens returning from a cruise don't realize
that their immigration status is double checked on return. Typical problem
is a foreign citizen who came here years ago as a tourist or student, got
married, had kids and now gets the free bus ride to the Krome Avenue
detention camp. Happens several times a week in South Florida.

On Thu, 29 Jul 2004 15:50:30 -0400, Terry Steinford
wrote:



Jim wrote:



If you have old warrants (or new ones) don't run red lights, don't
start bar fights and don't try to leave the country and come back in
again. These are the kind of things that draw attention to you.


Another problem is resident aliens returning from a cruise don't realize
that their immigration status is double checked on return. Typical problem
is a foreign citizen who came here years ago as a tourist or student, got
married, had kids and now gets the free bus ride to the Krome Avenue
detention camp. Happens several times a week in South Florida.

Many years ago, a co-worker went home (Jamaica?) over Christmas, only
to be denied re-entry since he had an expired visitor's visa. Took us
three months to him an H1-B.
--
dillon

When I was a kid, I thought the angel's name was Hark
and the horse's name was Bob.

On Thu, 29 Jul 2004 15:50:30 -0400, Terry Steinford
wrote:



Jim wrote:



If you have old warrants (or new ones) don't run red lights, don't
start bar fights and don't try to leave the country and come back in
again. These are the kind of things that draw attention to you.


Another problem is resident aliens returning from a cruise don't realize
that their immigration status is double checked on return. Typical problem
is a foreign citizen who came here years ago as a tourist or student, got
married, had kids and now gets the free bus ride to the Krome Avenue
detention camp. Happens several times a week in South Florida.

Many years ago, a co-worker went home (Jamaica?) over Christmas, only
to be denied re-entry since he had an expired visitor's visa. Took us
three months to him an H1-B.
--
dillon

When I was a kid, I thought the angel's name was Hark
and the horse's name was Bob.