Almost 18,000 outstanding traffic warrants represent fines totalling more than $10 million, police revealed today.

Acting Detective Superintendent Jason Smith shared the figures at a media briefing this morning.

As of today, the number of outstanding warrants stood at 17,971, while the value of unpaid fines was $10.48 million.

Mr Smith said: “The volume of outstanding warrants places a significant demand on the resources of the Bermuda Police Service and the wider Criminal Justice System.

“The BPS continues to enforce outstanding warrants and it is important to clarify that persons encountered by police who are the subject of criminal warrants will continue to be arrested and processed in accordance with the law.”

He added: “In the past seven days, the BPS made 57 arrests, out of which 24 were for warrants.

“This means that approximately four out of every ten arrests during that period were warrant related.

“In one instance an individual arrested on Friday, August 21, was found to have five outstanding warrants.”

The detective was providing an update on a new process that allows people with outstanding warrants to attend Hamilton Police Station on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday, between 8am and 8.45am, to have their matters resolved on the same day.

Mr Smith confirmed that the new process was applicable to traffic warrants only and not those who are the subject of criminal warrants.

• More to follow