Member Submission: Address Verification in Tallahassee
Hello. Just to let fellow people required to register know: my local city police showed up for my verification. I am no longer on Probation. I register through my county sheriff not the city. They asked me questions not asked during the regular registration (Do I have an internet service provider? Who is my closest living relative and what is their phone number? Do I have any minor children or grandchildren? What are their names and ages? How often do they come here? ).
I at first told the officer I wouldn’t answer them without asking my attorney. He said he’d be in his car for a bit if I wanted to contact the lawyer. i luckily got a hold of him and he told me to answer the questions cause he didn’t think they were anything that threatened me. The cop returned and I answered. He then told me that his lieutenant told him that if I didn’t answer they would contact SVU and would arrest me.
It’s so hard to know what to do. I feel confident in following my lawyer’s advice, but I would like to know if the cop is just threatening me without justification. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.
J
If a cop asks me information that is required by law when doing checks I’ll answer. This summer I had to go to a funeral and while I was out of state I had a address check. I got a call from the registry gal asking me where I was and I politely said out of state. Funny thing is they knew I was home and didn’t come for a visit till October. Most of the time it’s I know you are compliant and aren’t a threat, are there any changes and leave.
I guess if there actually ARE any changes, the PFR would likely be guilty of a felony for not having already reported them at the sheriff’s office.
It seems FAC should be sending a letter to the police chief and request an internal affairs investigation. Then make the results of that investigation known to everyone.
Or a member should and share the response.
Really, Contributor 3? Not much of an advocacy group then. What about the goals of teaching LE and the public about our lives on these registries and the uselessness of them? Is that not a goal anymore?
It is, we just don’t have the bandwidth to do everything asked of us. Would you be willing to step up as a volunteer?
Sure.
Concerned
FAC has limited resources and use volunteers. FAC is not a law form not or they lawyers. Also they have to choose which battles to fight and some are more important than others.
Have a great day
@Curious and Concerned
Cherokee is absolutely correct in reminding you and all of us that effectiveness of an advocacy group is in large measure determined by member contributions. This can be financial and/or through active participation. Sniping in BLOGs may feel good, but it accomplishes nothing. BTW did you both write, call and post an online comment to Merrick Garland concerning the proposed DOJ implementation rules? Just askin’.
There is a lack of activism across the country. People need to step up, volunteer, and help with the efforts.
I already already spent and am currently spending much of my life trying to assist as many people as possible. Every year the number of requests gets larger and larger, and has reached a point beyond my ability to help everyone. This is full time and I get zero compensation for it.
I am a one person operation. I am pretty sure FAC is larger and while it only concerns a single state, it is a state with a very large population. It is a state that has to contend with a complex system of laws that varies by county and municipality. They also have to contend with high profile and powerful adversaries like the Books.
I am sure that FAC, like any other group in this Anti-Registry Movement, is in need of volunteers, people that can pick up the things the existing members can’t cover because we are stretched so thin. So offer to help.
It is also true that we lack a training course for new activists. I am hoping to correct that by helping with putting together an activist handbook, which is a collaboration with other activists. I hope that will be a help to those who want to get involved but are not sure how to get stated. But in the meantime if you want to get involved, then reach out to FAC and ask them what you can do to help.
Since you are off probation, I’d request to speak to the Lieutenant and ask what statute required answering those questions. I’m still on federal supervised release, know state law and courteously don’t respond to the locals. Deputies stopped by a couple of months ago and we had a very civil conversation. We both agreed that I was not required to verify my residence (not Florida), nor was I required to answer questions. I thanked them for not arriving in uniform, and they left.
Occasionally police, and anyone in authority, need to be reminded of the limits of that authority. I carefully choose when and how to do that because they may resent it and can screw with you. Always get the supervisor’s name and number. Sometimes that alone will dissuade those who are just trying to intimidate. I might even have handed the phone to the cop and asked him to speak with the lawyer. A little reverse intimidation.
Veritas.
ED
When I was newly released from prison, I was living in a small city. They would sit in unmarked patrol cars and when I would go somewhere, they would follow me at least until I left the city limits. I mean what did they think they were going to catch me doing? Stopping at a brothel? Meeting with a cartel?
You might think that is silly but, what is really silly, is the amount of resources poured on sex offender enforcement, and yet millions of unsolved crimes sit in boxes around the U.S do to staffing shortages. Mind boggling. So 98 year old Granny May got hit over the head by a bad guy but they cannot afford to waste an officer on that because they need the money to buy gas to follow us around every day. I just realized we are in mini Russia.
@Ed C,
Cheers sir. Your comments are well informed and this one is no exception. In Florida, residency checks are required to have one show an id and nothing more. Should the LEO ask a few other questions related to info already given that’s usually ok with me. I’m taking that as a C.Y.A. thing on their side. They have job requirements too.
I’ve said this before, know the statutes that you are now required to live by. In this case, know what you are obligated to answer/show. This will allow you to act accordingly if someone with authority decides to overstep themselves.
At the end of the day, the police are the authority we have to “comply” with to stay free. Is it unnerving to have police asking personal questions? Absolutely.. But if you don’t, then you loose your freedom, job, and now have a very expensive, time-consuming court battle in front of you. So, who won? Even if you are able to prove malfeasance by law enforcement, they still win by drudging you through the mud of the correctional system. So, sure it’s hard, but the alternative to not “complying” is so much worse, we might as well do as asked. We can always fight for justice or preservation of said rights from the comfort of our living room while still working, and enjoying life!!!
Get a new attorney. One that will actually fight for you against this harassment.
I wouldn’t have told him crap. Unless you are here to either serve a warrant, or are doing an investigation for which requires such questions, than I remain silent. Call SVU, and I will call my attorney, thanks.
Tereto
Another idea is, if it is city cops and not the county Sheriff’s, just don’t answer the door. Eventually maybe they will give up. Probably not but make them waste their days trying to get ahold of you.
Of course if you are on probation, they basically try and make you believe you have no rights. As soon as I was off probation, I got the Hell out of Dodge.