The Daytona Beach Police Department (DBPD) is partnering with local clergy, the Daytona Beach chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Florida 7th Circuit State Attorney’s Office and the Florida 7th Circuit Public Defender’s Office to offer Operation Safe Surrender, a program which gives people with outstanding non-violent warrants a chance to clear up past troubles.
This one-day event will be held on August 4, 2021 (Wednesday) from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Master's Domain Church of God in Christ in Daytona Beach (511 Fremont Avenue).
Members of the clergy and representatives from the judicial system will welcome and process individuals with outstanding warrants issued in Volusia County.
People who turn themselves in will have a chance to get legal assistance from a public defender, attend first appearance before a judge at the church and, most likely, go home if they are a non-violent offender.
Operation Safe Surrender is a proactive initiative modeled after a successful program pioneered by the U.S. Marshals Service. The idea is to create a safe and inviting atmosphere where family members are welcome and issues are resolved onsite.
While the program is not an amnesty program, those who voluntarily turn themselves in will receive favorable consideration from the court, often in the form of reduced fines, probation requirements or a new court date as an alternative to incarceration.
DBPD was the first law enforcement agency in Florida to offer Operation Safe Surrender in 2010.