The three-day sweep was part of a statewide initiative.
Absentee parents in New Jersey owe their kids about $20 million.
To combat these outstanding child-support payments, the Sheriffs' Association of New Jersey initiated a statewide sweep of arrests on warrants of failed payments and court appearances. The initiative focused on non-custodial parents — those who do not have custody of their children — with active warrants.
View full sizeWarren County Sheriff David GallantWarren and Hunterdon counties raked in thousands of dollars from delinquent parents in the three-day effort, which began June 5. Warren County authorities tracked down 27 parents, collecting $7,296 of the $371,000 of child support owed, Sheriff David Gallant said.
"I don't have an opinion on how parents get behind that far," Gallant said. "Could be loss of jobs, tough economy, but in my opinion, this is an obligation that has to be met. And we take it seriously and put a good effort fourth from the sheriff's office to ensure that we were able to round up as many parent's that fail to meet their obligation."
He said that parents neglect their child-support obligations
for a number of reasons, including ex-spousal spite and financial inability.
Regardless of the rationale, children are the common victim, he said.
"I know that these are trying financial times, but there are kids that depend on this support," he said.
Hunterdon County authorities arrested 14 parents, with $10,720 collected out of $350,548 owed, according to Sheriff Ed Davis. Affected children were the common denominator in Hunterdon County as well, he said.
"We consider this very important because the money is going toward supporting children," Davis said.
Statewide sheriffs' offices served 1,056 warrants and amassed $264,614 from $20,152,587 outstanding payments, according to Sheriffs' Association President Frank Balles. A majority, nearly 90 percent, of non-custodial parents who owe money are men, according to Nicole Brossoie, state human services spokesperson. Hunterdon County arrested four women in its three-day sweep.
The state's current child support caseload consists of 394,000 non-custodial and custodial parents. Of these cases, 287,000 have arrears, unpaid or overdue child support bills.
"The primary benefit of these sherriffs' arrests is that the non-custodial parent with child support arrearages is located and a payment schedule is established," Brossoie said in an email.
She said that the recent flurry of arrests is one of many tools
employed by law enforcement to hold parents accountable. Authorities can
intercept tax refunds, lottery winnings or lawsuit settlements, she said. The
state can also withhold passports and professional licenses if child support is
owed or seize assets such as bank accounts and stocks.
Whatever the method, forcing parental responsibility helps foster the positive traits in their children, she said.
"Research has shown that children who have positive interaction with both parents have higher self-esteem and a healthy appreciation for family," she said. "In addition, kids have a much better chance of avoiding poverty and high-risk behaviors if they have dependable parents in their lives."