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Fugitive Safe Surrender >> Akron, Ohio |
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Fugitive Safe Surrender
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Akron, Ohio – July
11-14, 2007
The very first Fugitive Safe Surrender operation took place in
Cleveland, Ohio, in August 2005. Encouraged by the success of that
operation, as well as similar programs in Phoenix, Arizona, and
Indianapolis, Indiana, Marshal Elliott was determined to replicate it in
Summit County. For more than a year, he worked with community and
criminal justice leaders to lay the groundwork for a successful
operation in Akron. Bishop Joey Johnson of The House of the Lord Church
agreed to serve as the faith-based leader of Fugitive Safe Surrender
in Akron and hosted the surrender days in his church. Bishop Johnson
recruited more than 100 volunteers from both his church and the
community at large to assist with FSS functions during the four-day
surrender period. Of the more than 1,100 individuals who surrendered, approximately 100 were wanted on outstanding felony warrants. Each of the individuals who surrendered with an active warrant was seen by a judge at the Fugitive Safe Surrender site for disposition of his or her case. Nearly all of the individuals who were wanted on non-violent warrants were given bond, new court dates, or released directly from the church, while only six individuals were arrested due to the violent nature of the crimes for which they had been charged. Both hard-luck and feel-good stories abounded through the course of the operation. Retelling the story of one fugitive, who had traveled all the way from Atlanta at the urging of his fiancé in order to clear up his outstanding warrant, Marshal Elliott said, “This is only one of hundreds of great stories I have heard over the past four days. Fugitive Safe Surrender opens doors for fugitives who think that there is no door to open. The opportunity for fugitives to surrender peacefully creates a winning solution for law enforcement, the families of the fugitive, and the community.” |