Fugitive Safe Surrender
in the city and county of Philadelphia took place in mid-September
2008, under the stewardship of United States
Marshal Gary Shovlin,
and Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal John Patrignani, of the Eastern
District of Pennsylvania.
Over the course of the four-day
surrender period, 1,248
individuals with outstanding warrants took the opportunity to
surrender to law enforcement and help pave the way for a more
successful future. As a result of an extensive public outreach and
media campaign, including public service announcements with U.S.
Senator Arlen Specter, hundreds of people attempted to take
advantage of the program each day, making the program yet another
unqualified success.
Fugitive Safe
Surrender–Philadelphia was the 11th
operation of its kind undertaken by the USMS.
Reverend Ernest McNear, of True
Gospel Tabernacle Church of God in Christ, was instrumental in
bringing
Fugitive Safe Surrender to Philadelphia, and opened
his church to host the program. “The thought of doing this wouldn’t
leave me. It got into my spirits,” said the pastor. “When you’re
in the urban ministry you have to reach out . . . I think this is
the perfect demonstration of law and Grace.” FSS
Philadelphia had the highest percentage of
surrenderees wanted on felony charges, a total of 424 people,
approximately 34% of the total. Chief Patrignani said, “The church
provides people with a kind of a security blanket, a way to make
them feel at home.”
Once again, the interagency
cooperation exhibited by the program’s participants was nothing
short of impressive. “Our primary focus is to help people to clear
up cases and move on with their lives,” said Philadelphia Municipal
Court President Judge Louis J. Presenza. “And it’s happening
because they brought in seasoned district attorneys and public
defenders who know how to dispose of them,” he added. “You can see
the dedication on their faces. They want this to work.”
Fugitive Safe Surrender-Philadelphia
would not have been possible without the participation and support
of the Office of the Mayor of Philadelphia, the
Office of U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, the
Clerk of Quarter Sessions, the Defender Association of Philadelphia,
the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, the Kingdom Care
Reentry Network, Philadelphia Adult Probation and Parole, the
Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, Philadelphia Managing
Director’s Office, Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia
Sheriff’s Office, Public Health Management Corporation, Town Watch
Integrated Services, the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern
District of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Secret Service.