Halifax Regional Police are holding their first ever “Voluntary Surrender Day” at a Dartmouth community centre on Saturday for people in the municipality with outstanding warrants for non-violent offences to turn themselves in.
“We’ve done the best we can to try to build this to fit what we believe the community needs,” Insp. Don Moser said on Friday during a preview of the event for news outlets.
He said offering the opportunity at the Dartmouth North Community Centre, a “neutral environment,” might make some people feel more comfortable with the process.
As of last month, there were 684 outstanding warrants in the municipality.
“The bulk of it, really, is non-violent offence warrants. I think what they become are barriers for people in the community,” Moser said.
They could be preventing some people from volunteering and applying for certain jobs, he added.
Participants will have to give police their ID, and have their photo and fingerprints taken. A representative from Nova Scotia Legal Aid will be available to provide legal advice.
The event, believed by police to be a Canadian first, was inspired by similar programs in the United States which are said to have been successful.
“It’s a non-confrontational arrest. People get to come in on their time,” Const. Anthony McGrath said.
Turning oneself in now could prevent potentially embarrassing moments in the future.
McGrath used the example of a father running a stop sign as he drove with his family in the car. McGrath would stop the man for the infraction and, after running his information through a police system, learn that the man has an outstanding warrant.
“I arrest that person in front of his children, put him in handcuffs. He has to come with me, his kids are in the back seat, and his car is still on the street,” he said.
Trevor McGuigan, vice-president of the Nova Scotia Criminal Lawyers Association, said he doesn’t see great value in the event because people can already turn themselves in any time.
“It seems to me that the police are not offering much incentive, if any, to individuals on Voluntary Surrender Day,” he said.
McGuigan said one potential incentive could be assessing people for eligibility for the province’s restorative justice program, depending on the severity of the offence, which could lead to a resolution outside of court.
He also said that people should check with a courthouse about whether their warrant is endorsed or not; it would determine if they are released after being processed by police or held in custody until being seen by a judge.
It’s expected that most participants will be given a new court date and not have to remain in custody, Moser said.
READ MORE: 152 unwanted guns turned in for Halifax Transit guns-for-tickets campaign
Future iterations of the event could feature a functioning courtroom with lawyers and a judge to deal with cases, “if it shows some merit,” he added.
The results of the event, which police said will be released next week, will help determine if the event is held again.
The event runs between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
- Canada’s most wanted list: Toronto suspect in fatal shooting at No. 1
- Gas station clerk stabbed several times during violent attack at Ultramar in Montreal
- Man acquitted in Tina Fontaine murder found dead, says her aunt
- Canadians should expect politicians to support right to bail, Virani’s office says
Comments