JERSEY CITY — More than 4,500 people with warrants out for their arrest turned themselves in during New Jersey’s fugitive safe surrender program, officials said Tuesday.
More than 10,000 warrants for non-violent offenses were also resolved during the four-day window last week, Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman.
Of the 4,587 people who participated, only two were taken into custody, Hoffman said. They were wanted on out-of-state warrants, he said.
The program allows people who have been hiding from low-level offenses, often because they cannot afford hefty fines and fear arrest, to pay their debt and move on, Hoffman said.
“This is one-stop shopping for a new life,” he said.
Nearly two-thirds of the people who turned themselves in were wanted for traffic violations, Hoffman said. About one-third were wanted for misdemeanor criminal warrants, and the rest for child support, family court or probation warrants.
Hoffman said less than 1 percent of the participants were wanted for felonies.
Hoffman said the program also allows municipalities to save the time, effort, money and potential danger of serving thousands of warrants.
Hoffman said that each person who surrenders saves a city or town about $500 in police, court and jail costs.
About $40,000 in fines were collected, a number that’s expected to more than double after payment plans are completed.
Eddie Restrepo, an Iraq war veteran from West New York, N.J., racked up nearly $10,000 worth of parking infractions since 2011. His license was suspended but he was driving anyway because he had to look for a job. Homeless, he was living in his car and petrified of being arrested.
About eight months ago he got a job, and his boss urged him to surrender. Restrepo had his fines reduced to $200 and is waiting for his license to be reinstated.
“I feel free now,” he said.
Fugitive safe surrender started in Cleveland. There have been about three dozen around the country and five in New Jersey, Hoffman said. About 18,000 people have surrendered in New Jersey since the program began in 2008, he said.
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2013/11/12 18:31:35 GMT