Project Safe Surrender in Brooklyn This Friday and Saturday

Brooklyn clergy will be partnering with the Brooklyn District Attorneys’ Office, New York State Office of Court Administration, the Legal Aid Society and the NYC Police Department to implement Project Safe Surrender on December 2 and 3, 2011 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Project Safe Surrender (PSS) is a pilot community program that helps individuals resolve summons/warrants. An added benefit of this program is that it also helps individuals re-enter society by connecting them with vital social assistance in the areas of health, housing, employment, employment training and education.

This program was inspired by a successful United States Marshall’s initiative in 2006 called “Fugitive Safe Surrender” in which 14 cities participated and over 40,000 people surrendered voluntarily.

Brooklyn New York borrowed from the “Fugitive Safe Surrender” initiative and created their own program strictly for residents of Brooklyn called “Project Safe Surrender”. Brooklyn clergy, partnering with the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, the New York State Office of Court Administration, the Legal Aid Society and the New York City Police Department offer the opportunity for individuals with warrants/summons to turn themselves in to clergy and law enforcement and to have their warrants/summons lifted and their cases adjudicated in a safe environment. This is not a pardon; but rather a solution that is favorable. NOTE: Felonies, DMV AND MTA Summonses cannot be cleared through Project Safe Surrender at this time.

On December 2 and 3, 2011 Project Safe Surrender will open its doors at Mt. Sion Baptist Church for people who have open warrants/summons for the following charges:

· Unlawful possession of Alcohol under age 21
· Consumption of Alcohol in Public
· Aggressive Solicitation
· Unlawful possession of handcuffs
· Littering
· Riding a bicycle on the sidewalk
· Making unreasonable noise
· Animal nuisance
· Failure to have a dog license
· Unleashed dog
· Spitting
· Trespassing
· Disorderly conduct
· Loitering
· Unlawfully in a park after hours
· Failure to comply with posted signs in park
· Marijuana possession New!
· Smoking marijuana New!

For further information, please visit the Project Safe Surrender website here 

PROJECT SAFE SURRENDER WILL TAKE PLACE AT MT. SION BAPTIST CHURCH ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
DECEMBER 2 AND 3, 2011 FROM 9:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. at Mt. Sion Baptist Church, 365 Ralph Avenue (corner of Pacific Street),  Brooklyn, NY 11233,  (718) 771-7777