Some probation violators and people owing the city thousands of dollars in unpaid fines got an unexpected wake-up call before dawn Thursday.
That's when Macon police officers started knocking on doors yelling "Macon police, police department," in a roundup of municipal court violators.
In all, 16 people were arrested accounting for $37,000 in unpaid municipal fines, said Lt. Robert Grabowski.
"Six others came to the clerk's window and started paying their fines because they heard we were looking for them," he said.
Officers met before 5 a.m. to divvy up 150 warrants for people with last names from the first half of the alphabet. Divided into teams of four to six people, the officers canvassed the city's four police precincts, Grabowski said.
Officers started bringing in wanted individuals as early as 6:30 a.m.
Sgt. Mark Cotton drove in a two-car convoy of officers serving warrants in south Macon. To his right, Clifford Gordon flipped through a stack of warrants and gave directions.
Just before 7 a.m., the officers pounded on the door of a house on Crisp Street near the police department's precinct. A man dressed in a white tanktop and pants came to the door.
He didn't know the person the police were looking for. He'd just moved in.
At their next stop, this time on Robert Henry Street, the officers found a vacant house.
A person living in another house near the intersection of Heard Avenue and Sharl Street told the officers the man they sought already was in prison.
By 7:15 a.m., the officers had knocked on nearly 20 doors and had not served a single warrant.
But at 7:20 a.m., the officers knocked on the door of a house on Villa Crest Avenue near San Juan Avenue. Mary Anna Harris, a woman owing $4,198.25 for traffic violations, answered the door.
After giving Harris a chance to get dressed, the officers handcuffed her and took her to City Hall. An hour later she faced the judge who sentenced her to serve time on probation until she paid her fine.
Harris wasn't alone. Six people sat in court by 8:30 a.m. including Herbert Honeycutt who owed the city $6,522.50, the most of anyone arrested during the roundup. Honeycutt also was sentenced to probation.
In court, some people chose to plead guilty to their charges and pay their fines. Others who proclaimed innocence were given new court dates.
In the week since police first announced the roundup, Municipal Court Director John Pattan said his office has been flooded with phone calls from people interested in squaring up with the court.
He said he had to borrow an additional phone and ask another city employee to answer calls to handle the higher call volume.
Anyone with an outstanding Municipal Court warrant or fee is asked to call (478) 751-7154. Pattan said the Municipal Court accepts cash, checks, money orders, cashier's checks and credit cards as forms of payment.
Another roundup is scheduled for May 22.
Macon Police Chief Mike Burns said other unannounced roundups are expected.
"We're going to find you," Grabowski said. "It's just a matter of time."
To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398.
Macon police arrest residents for unpaid fines