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'Fugitive Safe Surrender' draws more than 400

    Inquirer
    Published 

With two days yet to go in Philadelphia's four-day "Fugitive Safe Surrender" initiative, 450 nonviolent fugitives had turned themselves in by late yesterday afternoon, an official said.

District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham said the effort, set to end tomorrow, drew fugitives to the True Gospel Tabernacle Church, in the 1600 block of Mifflin Street, South Philadelphia. Judges and lawyers greeted them. Many who appeared were given a court date and sent home.

The program was staged to clear up some of the 38,000 outstanding misdemeanor warrants in Philadelphia. Program officials said that 319 warrants were cleared yesterday, for a cumulative total of 539. Authorities said they believed the fugitives, many with multiple cases, would be more likely to surrender in a church than a police station or courthouse.

Abraham will attend today's session of the program at 1:30 p.m. at True Gospel Tabernacle Church. The program runs from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. The city is the 11th to offer the program, which was started three years ago by a federal marshal in Ohio.

- Bonnie L. Cook

    Inquirer