There are more than 1,000 outstanding arrest warrants for people accused of felony and gross misdemeanor offenses in St. Louis County.
It's a number that criminal justice officials have been wanting to trim for years, and the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office is hoping a new online tool will help.
As of Monday, a list of outstanding warrants is publicly accessible on the county's website.
"The Sheriff's Office is publishing the list online both in the interest of public safety, and as a way to enlist the public's help in locating the individuals on the list," Sheriff Ross Litman said in a statement.
The list, available at stlouiscountymn.gov/warrants , is updated daily. It includes the names, ages and most recent addresses of the suspects, along with a short description of charges, warrant details and a mugshot, if available.
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Not included are warrants issued more than five years ago or those in juvenile or confidential cases. Also not included are nearly 5,000 warrants for lesser misdemeanor charges, Litman said.
St. Louis County, like most counties in the Northland, has for the past several years provided an online jail inmate roster , which provides public information about all adult inmates arrested in the county.
Across the border, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office already provides an arrest warrant list on its website - a number that sat at 3,756 as of Monday afternoon.
Warrants, which are signed by judges and processed by sheriff's offices, are mostly issued for failing to appear in court or for violating terms of probation.
In an effort to reduce the mountain of warrants in Northland counties, several "Warrant Workout Day" events have been held at area courthouses in recent years, offering people the opportunity to walk in and resolve their legal issues without going to jail.
Walk-in warrant-resolution appointments are also available at the county's three courthouses:
- Duluth: Tuesdays at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m., Thursdays at 8 a.m.; Check in at court administration in Room 133.
- Hibbing: Mondays at 8 a.m.; Check in at the customer service window.
- Virginia: Fridays at 8 a.m.; Check in at the sheriff's office in the courthouse.
Anyone who knows the whereabouts of a suspect on the warrant list is asked to call 911 or (218) 625-3581.
