Operation Safe Surrender taking place on Wednesday, August 4.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News

The Daytona Beach Police Department is teaming up with local clergy, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) - Daytona Beach chapter and other agencies in the court system to bring Operation Safe Surrender, an initiative giving people with outstanding non-violent warrants a chance to clear up past troubles.

This one-day event will be held on Wednesday, August 4, 2021, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Master's Domain Church of God in Christ off Fremont Avenue in Daytona Beach.

According to a release, 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 a first appearance before a judge at the church and, most likely, go home if they are non-violent offenders.

The Daytona Beach Police Department was the first law enforcement agency in Florida to offer Operation Safe Surrender in 2010.

Operation Safe Surrender is an initiative modeled after a successful program founded by the U.S. Marshals Service. The goal of the operation is to create a safe and inviting atmosphere and resolve issues on-site.

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.