NEWTON – The city of Newton has hired a collection agency to recoup $715,000 in unpaid traffic fines.

    Newton Mayor David Carr said Brandon-based Mississippi Court Collections has been hired to collect the fines. The city will receive $87.50 for every $100 the company collects.

    “If we only collect $10,000, that is more than we had to begin with,” Newton Mayor David Carr said.

    Some of the fines date back to 2006, Carr said.

    “We felt like the police department didn’t have the time to go out and collect the money that was owed,” Carr said. “… Some of these people have probably moved out of state, or died.”

    Newton Police Chief Harvey Curry said the decision to hire an outside collection agency will take a burden off the police department.

    “… If you have to arrest and lock them up you are accumulating a bill by housing them,” Curry said.

    Carr said arresting everyone with an unpaid traffic fine is not feasible.

    “Do you put them in jail if they don’t have the money to pay it?” Carr asked.  “We could have suspended their license but that doesn’t bother most of them.”