The Summit County Sheriff's Office announced that the Fugitive Safe Surrender event is taking place at the House of the Lord Church in Akron Aug. 7 - 10.
"We as a church want to be a part of that first step to helping sombody have a comeback," Pastor Daren Brake said, "There's no need for a high-speed chase or a need for some escalated interaction. It's called Fugitive Safe Surrender."
The event provides an opportunity for people who have a warrant to surrender themselves voluntarily in exchange for possible favorable consideration of their case.
Organizers say there is a backlog of warrants. There are nearly 7,000 felony warrants in Summit County and more than 14,000 misdemeanor or traffic warrants out of Akron Municipal Court.
"Free legal representation will be available, with attorneys present to provide representation for those who surrender and appear before a judge. All of which will occur on-site. This is not an amnesty program. This program offers individuals with warrants the opportunity to resolve their case in a safe manner," Sheriff Kandy Fatheree said.
It will take place at 1650 Diagonal Road, Akron, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Anyone with questions can contact the Summit County Sheriff’s Office at 330-643-2114.
Judge Alison McCarty stated, "It will be taken into consideration that you turned yourself in and you're tying to move forward with your life."
The Fugitive Safe Surrender Program was created in 2005 after Cleveland Police Officer Wayne Leon was killed in the line of duty by a fugitive during a traffic stop.
The program was started by U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott and Cleveland Area Pastor CJ Matthews. The program has since expanded across the country.
United States Marshal Pete Elliott and two Cleveland-area church leaders created the Fugitive Safe Surrender Hotline to operate alongside an existing program that allows wanted fugitives to peacefully and voluntarily surrender.
