Do neighbors have a right to know?
Last week, The Guardian called it “lifting the lid on a sexual abuse scandal”. A former Kansas City, Kansas police department detective Roger Golubski, who had spent 35 years with the police force, had spent decades sexually assaulting women in the community he served. Using his badge as a weapon, he intimidated and threatened his victims with arrest if they didn’t perform sexual acts on him and then told them nobody would believe them if they reported him.
It’s a scandal that didn’t need any lid-lifting, since it’s one that plays out repeatedly across the nation. Even here in Florida. Just last week, a former police chief was arrested after he had sexually battered a 14-year-old girl in Sumter County while using a deadly weapon. Also last week, a prison transport officer was arrested for possession of child pornography, A couple of months ago a Palm Bay police officer was arrested after he had on-duty sexual contact with a teenage girl. Also, an Opa-locka police officer was charged with sexual battery in, ironically, the parking lot of a donut shop. This past September a corporal with the New Port Richey Police sexually assaulted 17-year-old teenage runaway as he was transporting her to a juvenile assessment center. And earlier this year, a former Hialeah police Sergent was sentenced for sex crimes against three women, which were just a fraction of his alleged victims.
In a press release concerning another corrections officer who had sexually abused an inmate, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a press release in which the U.S. Attorney was quoted as saying, the perpetrator “is a predator who used his authority and position to control and violate the victim. He abandoned his ethical responsibilities and has been held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma. “The Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the nation are committed to upholding the Constitutional rights of all citizens. Civil rights abuses will be fully investigated and perpetrators will be brought to justice.”
Because of the unique power they exert, especially over vulnerable victims, such as children and people apprehended by them and in their custody, police are in a unique position to commit these crimes. Out of fear of retaliation or not being believed, these individuals are believed to have many more victims than are previously reported, which makes the harm from these individuals incalculable.
While the overwhelming majority of those in law enforcement will not offend, police officers are the perpetrators of sexual offenses in a concerning number of cases. All this begs the question, should neighbors be warned if a police officer lives in their community? Some could say yes and the sex offender registry already exists for this purpose. The image, home address, description, vehicles owned and other identifying information can be made available and publicly broadcast for communities to be able to search. The availability of such information helps members of the public take common sense measures for the protection of themselves and their families.
Opponents of the measure might argue that it’s one thing to use the public registry for law enforcement and completely different to use it for people with past convictions, but not so. This is not a punishment for the past conviction. In fact, it’s not supposed to be punishment at all! The “sex offender registration is civil measure reasonably designed to protect public safety, not a punishment” according to the US Supreme Court in Smith v. Doe. In fact, according to (now) Chief Justice John Roberts (who argued on behalf of the government at the time), the registry is no more burdensome than “filling out a Price Club application.”
So why should we not require registration of law enforcement officers under this additional safety tool? If it saves one child isn’t it worth it?
Great article maybe the first step is to do away with police immunity. Never understood why a cop was to be above the law with no accountability.
Eugene, cops are not immune from criminal liability. Because of “professional courtesy”, they may get away with a lot more than the average citizen. I think you may be confusing criminal liability with the concept of qualified immunity from lawsuits. I personally feel that anyone with authority should be held to a much higher standard.
I agree.
Law enforcement and elected officials should receive a double sentence when caught.
This would make them think twice about abusing the law they are elected to uphold instead of just getting fired and then the Fraternal Order of Police sees they get re-hired again.
Good cops don’t do bad things just like a grape vine doesn’t produce briars.
Bad cops should be fired, prosecuted, and jailed.
They are no different than other human. They put their pants on the same way everybody else does–one leg at a time.
Thank You for posting this article as it has been in the local news for several weeks now. But anyone from the area has known for decades this was going on but didn’t dare say anything for fear of reprisals. Roger Glubski is the getting the rap but I can assure you he is not the only one involved. The situation was going on for decades before he joined the force . And he has had lots of help in keeping it contained and covered up. I was aware of what was going on in the 1960s and 1970s. The charges against me in 1996 was handled in the same lying cover up way that is just now being exposed here. This guy is just getting the rap because he is now too old to do anything about it. He can hardly walk and is in poor health . This is just the tip of the iceberg and is typical of police departments across the country.
I was always wondering why the term “price club membership” was being thrown around in the comments, now I know why. Some journalist looking to make a name for themselves should try to get Justice Roberts to opine on his thinking today about his views.” Would he be too prideful to admit he was wrong?
The total burden should consider the penalty. A price club application that was tied to the death penalty for being completed incorrectly would be very burdensome indeed. For most on the registry, An FTR (even one that was not willful) comes with significant potential punishments.
One clarification. John Roberts did not reference Price Club as Chief Justice, or as any Justice. He was appearing as an advocate for the state, and for an earlier, lighter registry. What he actually believed at the time, or still believes it today, is anybody’s guess.
He likely won’t give it much more thought until they grant cert and proper arguments are made before him.
Another original masterpiece from FAC volunteer journalists.
Doxxing = Doxxing = Doxxing.
It’s not just cops and teachers.
Ex-CNN producer John Griffin pleads guilty to child sex crime
https://www.foxnews.com/media/ex-cnn-producer-john-griffin-pleads-guilty-child-sex-crime