Halifax police holding ‘voluntary surrender’ day for people with outstanding warrants

Police in Halifax are turning to a new initiative to try and reduce the number of outstanding warrants in the municipality.

A “voluntary surrender” will be held on April 29 at the Dartmouth North Community Centre from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Police say the event is an opportunity for people with outstanding warrants for non-violent offences to resolve the warrants in a neutral environment – avoiding arrest at home, in front of their family and children, at work or during a traffic stop.

There are currently 684 outstanding warrants on file with Halifax Regional Police (HRP). The voluntary surrender is a first-time initiative for HRP and a first of its kind in Canada, however, similar initiatives have been successful in the United States in the past.

Police say those who attend the voluntary surrender will have their warrants resolved – which means police will no longer be looking to arrest them, and the warrant will be replaced with a court date. Officers say the event is not an amnesty program and that participants will need to appear before the court at a later date to answer to pending charges.

A booking area will be set up at the community centre so officers can process warrants. Anyone participating will be asked to present ID and will have their fingerprints and a photo taken. In most cases, police say participants will then receive a new court date.

HRP says the goal is to reduce the number of outstanding warrants in our area by providing a more appealing opportunity for people to surrender. The program is tailored to people with warrants for non-violent offences, but individuals with an outstanding warrant for any type of offence may participate. However, those with warrants for violent offences will likely be taken into custody.