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That's what it means in some localities, paid for by the defendant and rewarded to the apprehending police department. They use it to pay overtime for their officers. Not all warrants are worth apprehending a crook. Some localities won't even bother with a $250 or $500 warrant that's typically sworn out for a person not showing up for jury duty or traffic court, but $20k can generate interest.

Also, not all bounty hunters are bail bondsmen like Dwayne 'Dog' Chapman of TV fame. Some of the hungrier guys just sit around the courthouse looking for work doing menial court jobs like process serving until a big fat potential payday is announced in the form of a judge swearing out a high dollar warrant against someone evading justice. It's how some private eyes make money on the side if they haven't got any active clients.