Federal Land Violators Offered Safe Surrender May 1

PHOENIX Federal law enforcement officers are asking Arizona residents with outstanding tickets for misdemeanor crimes on federal lands and properties in Arizona to circle May 1 on their calendars. On May 1 we are going to open the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office in Mesa to anyone who has outstanding tickets or even arrest warrants to come in and clear their record, said Larry Heady, Forest Service patrol captain for Central Arizona. After May 1 all bets are off, and it wont be long before well be knocking on doors and taking people to jail. The Safe Surrender Day is a joint effort by the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to clean up their backlog of outstanding tickets and arrest warrants before conducting a sweep later in May. There are hundreds of people out there who have been cited for misdemeanor violations and who have missed their court dates and now have outstanding arrest warrants, said Jon Young, Bureau of Land Management law enforcement officer. We are giving these folks one last chance to do the right thing before we take this to the next level. Young stressed that Safe Surrender Day only applies to offenders with misdemeanor violations committed on federal public lands which can range from littering to starting illegal fires. We manage these public lands in trust for the American people, and we take this duty seriously, added Young. People who trash these lands or endanger it by starting dangerous fires should be held accountable for their actions. Safe Surrender Day and the subsequent sweep for outstanding warrants are supported by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Phoenix and the U.S. Marshals Service. The U.S. Attorneys Office supports the responsibility of these federal officers to protect our public lands, said U.S. Attorney Daniel Knauss. Those who take responsibility for their actions and self surrender on May 1 may have the possibility of mitigating their fines. We will be ready to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone who fails to take advantage of this opportunity and is subsequently arrested. The penalties can add up quickly many of the misdemeanor charges carry up to six months in jail and $5,000 fines. "This program, the first of its kind in the federal government, is offering hope and a second chance for people with outstanding tickets for misdemeanor crimes on federal lands, said David Gonzales, U.S. Marshal for the District of Arizona. This program is designed to offer hope and a second chance to people who are tired of looking over their shoulder, tired of lying to their families, and worried about law enforcement officers coming to their home or place of employment to arrest them." Representatives from all three federal land management agencies will be on hand in Mesa on May 1 to clear up violations. The Fish and Wildlife Service office is located at 2450 West Broadway Road, Suite 113 and will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in support of Safe Surrender Day. Violators are encouraged to bring money orders to pay their fines as cash will not be accepted. A variety of payment alternatives are in place for those unable to make it to Mesa. Fines can be paid through May 1 at Federal Courthouses in Flagstaff, Phoenix and Tucson. Payments can also be made at the Central Violations Bureaus website, www.cvb.uscourts.gov, or by phone, 1-800-827-2982. Payments can also be mailed to Central Violations Bureau, P.O. Box 780549, San Antonio, TX 78278. Citation numbers should be included on any correspondence or money order.