Over four days, nonviolent fugitives can surrender at a S. Phila. church.
By Vernon Clark
The Philadelphia Inquirer
PHILADELPHIA — City and federal law enforcement officials yesterday announced a four-day pilot program in which nonviolent fugitives will be able to turn themselves in at a South Philadelphia church.
“We stand here today to say there is a second chance in life,” said acting U.S. Attorney Laurie Magid. “Stop looking over your shoulder, stop living in the shadows.”
At a news conference in the sanctuary of True Gospel Tabernacle Family Church at 16th and Mifflin Streets, officials said that from Sept. 17 to 20, the church will be converted to a courtroom with a judge, public defenders and district attorneys. Nonviolent fugitives will have hearings to help resolve the warrants.
Describing the project as an experiment, District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham said that in most cases, the nonviolent fugitives would receive a court date and the warrants would be lifted.
Abraham said the program would be open to fugitives with a history of violence and those facing felony charges. However, they were not likely to be released.
U.S. Marshal Gary Shovlin said the federal Fugitive Safe Surrender program was started in Cleveland in 2005 after a police officer was fatally shot by a fugitive with an open warrant.
The program has been launched in 11 cities, of which Philadelphia is the largest. So far, 13,640 fugitives have surrendered, Shovlin said.
About 38,000 fugitives are wanted in Philadelphia in misdemeanor cases and about 30,000 are under felony warrants, according to the deputy mayor for public safety, Everett Gillison.
Mayor Nutter urged nonviolent fugitives to take advantage of the opportunity.
“If you are wanted and you know you are wanted, you represent a risk and a danger to everyone else around you and your family,” Nutter said.
“Stand up and be a man and a woman, and deal with the situations you are facing,” he said.
Magid said that federal authorities often use early morning raids to round up fugitives. Such raids, she said, are often dangerous to the officers conducting them, and to those being arrested and their families.
“There is a better, safer, kinder way to do justice,” Magid said.
If the program meets expectations, the project would be expanded around the city.
The officials lauded the Rev. Ernest McNear for launching the program at his church.
“It takes . . . courage and a true man of faith to literally open the doors of the church to those who might not be here for your Sunday sermons,” Nutter said.
McNear said that in the city’s jails, the majority of inmates are African American and other minorities.
“Many of these people are people from our churches and temples and other congregations,” McNear said. “If we can help keep people out, it helps our community.”
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