'Safe Surrender' Event Leads To Dismissal Of Warrants, Tickets
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Hundreds of people had their warrants and summons dismissed in Brooklyn Saturday, during a Safe Surrender event.
As WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported, a long line formed at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, at 212 Tompkins Ave. in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn.
'Safe Surrender' Event Leads To Dismissal Of Warrants, Tickets
The men and women in line all had warrants – not for major crimes, but for quality-of-life offenses such as riding a bicycle on the sidewalk, having an open bottle of alcohol, or walking a dog without a leash. But because they never paid the fines when they received the tickets, warrants were put out for their arrests.
The Rev. Joseph Jones said the District Attorney's office had agreed to forgive the warrants and fines if those who were ticketed came to the Safe Surrender event.
"There are 250,000 of these in the five boroughs, and they were afraid they didn't have the money, so (they decided), 'I'm not going to court," Jones said.
One woman was smiling as she left.
"I had an open bottle of Corona and had never paid the ticket," she said. "I'm happy I could do this."
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