Reminder: Project Safe Surrender

Project Safe Surrender has returned for a third year: For two days, beginning Friday, December 14 and Saturday, December 15, from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, at Mount Sion Baptist Church, located at 365 Ralph Avenue, a judge and court attorneys will be on hand to vacate all warrants that have resulted from summons for minor offenses.

These offenses may include trespassing, spitting, loitering, disorderly conduct, walking an unleashed dog, drinking alcohol in public, drinking alcohol underaged, riding a bicycle on the sidewalk, making unreasonable noise, etc.

As minor as the infraction may sound, like a splinter, if not removed, it becomes a huge problem for its host. If a summons is not answered, it becomes a warrant. And once it is a warrant, it impacts a person’s ability to get a job or apply for public assistance.

Clergy, pastors, lay member and defense attorneyswill be available to help you resolve any outstanding summons warrants for the following infractions:

Unlawful Possession of Marijuana
Unlawful Possession of Alcohol under the age of 21
Consumption of Alcohol in Public
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
Trespass
Disorderly Conduct
Loitering
In the Park after Closing
Failure to Comply with a Posted Sign in Park
And other summons offenses

“Issuing a summons for these annoying, sort of quality-of-life crimes became very prominent during the Giuliani era,” said Robert Cornegy, district leader (56th A.D.). “But those very annoying summons turned into warrants, which now greatly impact a community’s ability to move forward.

“A lot of people I’ve given the flyer to say, ‘Well, I don’t have any warrants,’ and they keep walking. But there are 67,000 of them in this neighborhood alone, so somebody has a warrant. Or at least, somebody you know has a warrant.”

The idea for Project Safe Surrender came from a national model called Project Fugitive Surrender, a successful multi-state initiative that also vacated warrants for minor infractions.

While this is not amnesty, favorable consideration will be given to those who participate. For More Info Call: 718-250-3888

Also, a job resource fair and food will be available at the Shirley Chisholm Day Care Center Inc. II, 2023 Pacific St., Brooklyn.