The “Memphis Fugitive Safe Surrender” initiative concluded this past Saturday with 1581 people surrendering to law enforcement officers at New Salem Missionary Baptist Church at 2237 South Parkway.

“Memphis had more fugitives surrender than any other city where the program has been offered," said David Jolley, United States Marshal for the Western District of Tennessee. Similar initiatives have been held in Cleveland, Ohio, Indianapolis, Indiana, Phoenix, Arizona and Nashville, Tennessee.

The initiative began Wednesday, September 19 and continued through Saturday, September 22. Fugitives surrendered between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The surrender program was sponsored by the United States Marshals Office, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, Criminal and General Sessions Courts and other divisions of the criminal justice system.

Those wanted on charges were offered the opportunity to surrender at the church to help clear more than 37,000 outstanding warrants on file at the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Bureau. For doing so, fugitives were given “favorable consideration” when their cases were heard by judges who conducted court in the church chapel and the fellowship hall.

“We appreciate the partnership with Pastor Frank Ray of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church and the hundreds of volunteers from New Salem and other churches throughout Memphis and Shelby County who assisted fugitives and their families during the four-day event,” said Shelby County Sheriff Mark H. Luttrell, Jr.

"More than 100 people who showed up as the initiative was ending on Saturday received vouchers to appear in court at a later date. They, too, will receive favorable consideration by us for voluntarily turning themselves in,” said Shelby County District Attorney General Bill Gibbons.

1581 people, more than 300 of them women, showed up for the initiative.

Here are the day-by-day totals:

• Wednesday, September 19 — 301
• Thursday, September 20 — 285
• Friday, September 21 — 363
• Saturday, September 22 — 632

Total Warrants Cleared: 1725

• Felonies Cases Cleared — 211
• Misdemeanor Cases Cleared — 1506
• Criminal Summons — 8
• Those physically arrested — 49

Some of the 49 fugitives taken to jail did not qualify for the initiative because they were wanted on serious charges. Some of those charges were aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and statutory rape. Others were required to go to jail because they were wanted by other law enforcement agencies outside of Shelby County.

Also during the initiative, 299 people showed up to settle child support warrants issued by the Memphis and Shelby County Juvenile Court.