If you know police are looking for you, whether because of a warrant, a pending charge, or an active investigation, you have a choice to make. Do you turn yourself in, or do you wait and see what happens? In almost every case, voluntary surrender is the better option.
Below, we talk about why this is almost always the case.
What Voluntary Surrender Actually Means
Voluntary surrender means contacting police, usually through your lawyer, and arranging to present yourself at a station rather than waiting to be arrested. It’s a controlled process. You choose the time, often early in the morning, so bail can be addressed the same day. You arrive prepared, with a lawyer aware of your situation and ready to act.
It’s not an admission of guilt, and you’re not pleading to anything by surrendering. Rather, you’re simply addressing the warrant or charge in an orderly way.
The Advantages of Surrendering
Judges and Crown prosecutors take note when an accused person surrenders voluntarily. It signals responsibility and respect for the process, which can directly affect bail outcomes.
You also avoid the embarrassment and disruption of being arrested at home, at work, or in front of your family. Police don’t always wait for a convenient moment. A surprise arrest can mean handcuffs in your office parking lot or officers at your door at 6 a.m. while your kids watch.
Voluntary surrender also gives your lawyer time to prepare. They can gather documents that support your release, line up a surety if needed, and speak to the Crown in advance about the position they’ll take on bail. None of this is possible if you’re picked up unexpectedly.
In some cases, surrendering can affect the charges themselves. If the investigation is still ongoing, cooperating early may give your lawyer an opportunity to provide context that influences the Crown’s decision about what to charge.
The Downsides of Waiting
Waiting almost always makes things worse. The longer a warrant is outstanding, the more it suggests to the court that you’re a flight risk. That perception affects bail, conditions, and even sentencing if you’re ultimately convicted.
You live with constant anxiety. Every traffic stop, every interaction with authority, every knock at the door becomes a potential arrest. People often describe months of waiting as more stressful than the actual legal proceedings.
Arrests happen at the worst possible moments. Police may show up while you’re at work, picking up your children, or travelling. You’ll be processed in custody, may spend a night or more in a cell, and your bail hearing will be on the court’s schedule. If you’re arrested on a Friday evening, you could sit in custody all weekend.
If you leave the province or country to avoid arrest, you may face additional charges, and you’ll certainly face a much harder time getting bail when you return.
When Waiting Might Make Sense
There are rare situations where a lawyer might advise pausing briefly before surrender. Maybe the investigation is incomplete, and the charge isn’t yet finalized. Maybe there’s a procedural issue being addressed. These decisions should always be made with legal advice, though, not on your own.
How to Surrender Properly
Don’t walk into a police station alone. Call a Regina criminal defence lawyer first. They’ll contact the investigating officer, confirm the warrant or charges, and arrange a surrender on terms that work for your bail hearing. Bring identification, a list of emergency contacts, and any medications you take.
If there’s a warrant out for you in Saskatchewan, contact Linh Pham of Regina Criminal Law at (306) 502-5987 before turning yourself in.