Fugitive Safe Surrender Comes Back Home to Cleveland and Sets New National Record

Fugitive Safe Surrender was brought back home to Cleveland and in a four-day period 7,431 fugitives surrendered and took advantage of the Fugitive Safe Surrender program held September 22nd through 25th at Mt. Zion Church in Oakwood Village, Ohio setting a new national record for surrenders in the program.

Fugitive Safe Surrender was created in Cleveland, Ohio in 2005 by United States Marshal Pete Elliott of the Northern District of Ohio after a Cleveland Police Officer was shot and killed by a fugitive. At that initial site in Cleveland 850 fugitives peacefully surrendered and since then 30,000 wanted individuals have surrendered nationally through the program in 18 cities across our nation in the past five years.

Law enforcement and the judiciary along with over forty partnering organizations joined together to offer those with outstanding warrants the ability to peacefully surrender within the safe environs of Mt. Zion Church. Nearly 500 wanted felons, including individuals wanted on federal and out-of-state- of-Ohio warrants all peacefully surrendered during the four-day program, clearing over 12,000 outstanding warrants. 

Said Fugitive Safe Surrender founder, U.S. Marshal Pete Elliot, “A special ‘thank you’ should go to Pastor Larry L. Macon Sr., pastor of Mt. Zion and the more than 200 volunteers who gave of their time and effort over the four-day program. The number of fugitives who took advantage of Fugitive Safe Surrender and their families who attended with them far exceeded any expectations. The four-day total of surrenders set a new national record for Fugitive Safe Surrender. For every fugitive that peacefully and voluntarily surrendered that is one less dangerous confrontation our law enforcement officers and citizens have to face.” Stated Elliott.

Bob Reid, Cuyahoga County Sheriff, said of the program, “These results will continue to offer long term benefits and savings for many years to come in the case load for Cuyahoga County courts, prosecutors, law enforcement, corrections centers and all participating municipalities and communities as well as offer safety and manpower savings in our responsibilities of pursuing, capturing and processing fugitives.”