MEMBER SUBMISSION: Experience during an address verification
I wanted to bring your attention to something new that I encountered last night after I did my bi annual check in.
I received a call from a deputy sheriff who asked me to step outside. Knowing that I had just done all my normal check in I stepped out side and met him. He was in an undercover vehicle and he told me that he needed to confirm some information. He told me that the US Marshalls are making them do a yearly check in on top of the Address verification checks. He then told me that he needed to make sure that something called Offender Watch was correct as well. He went over the things on my check in form that I did earlier that day.
He brought up some old account that I had never heard about. He told me that they use some program that they put our information into and it pulls things that close match what we give to them. Then it assigns a percentage to that information of how close of a possibility it is being yours. He then took a new photo of me in front of my house. Then told me that he would be back later this week to take a day time photo of my house for this Offender Watch and the US Marshalls service.
I asked if this information was for law enforcement only or if these photos would be posted online for people to see as I am worried about Vigilantism. I made him aware of some of the threats and murders that the registered citizens have received just in this year alone. And he made it sound like he understood. I told him I had never even heard of those accounts or even the websites he was saying. One being Gavatar.com he told me he also had never heard about it and that him and his supervisor looked into it as well and they didn’t even know what it was and thought it was for gaming. I shrugged my shoulders and said wasn’t me.
He then left but it has me shaken up a bit. I know that I have to deal with this for awhile more and I hate that my family is having to deal with this along side of me. But I am really worried about this Offender watch and it seemed like the officer who came out was sympathetic on the cases and told me to call them if we ever receive any threats about vigilantism or harassment as they don’t put up with it no matter who you are. I told him I appreciated it but as long as I am on this hit list then I will always have to look over my shoulder.
No Florida/Federal statute requiring me to give information outside of the office or the address verification?
Hard pass.
You are not required by law to even answer the door to any member of law enforcement, for those not under official supervision anyway.
It does not matter whether there’s some old account associated with you. That does not mean it’s registerable.
What you are required to register is accounts that you actually use to communicate. And not just any communication, but direct user-to-user social communication.
FAC Legal correct me if I’m spreading miscommunication.
You are 100% correct.
Dear FAC,
Is the messaging service called WhatsApp considered a “direct user-to-user social communication” account? Email addresses are not used, only cell phone numbers. Is this app something that needs to be registered?
Many thanks!
Lay opinion: YES
Should have demanded to see a badge, photo graph the badge & car, called what ever law enforcement agency it was to confirm the badge, and then, taken the 5th. I think this was a phishing attempt.
OffenderWatch is simply the name of the database, provided by a third-party vendor, into which officers input your registration information.
What state and county Sheriff’s office was this? We need more details. Thanks
“US Marshalls are making them do a yearly check in on top of the Address verification checks.”
US Marshall’s office are out of their jurisdiction on this CIVIL MATTER, registry is a state/city/county matter, and not a federal matter. Demand the United State Codes that require a 2nd check or even a verification check. If they come to your home to inspect your home, demand to see a warrant. You have no requirement to give passwords or pass-codes. Willy Barr does not have authority to violate the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 14th Amendments.
I looked up Offender Watch and it looks like a private company perhaps a non-profit. I am suspicious of this as it would seem they are/maybe using the Sheriff to gather info. Did you see a DS badge? Really seems bogus.
They are certainly not a non-profit.
I have never heard of or experienced such a visit. I think I would have to see something in writing before I would consider cooperation.
https://offenderwatch.com/offenderwatch/#:~:text=OffenderWatch%20Software,management%20and%20community%20notification%20network.&text=Our%20Software%20ensures%20compliance%2C%20increases,%2C%20timely%2C%20and%20complete%20information.
Since this Offender Watch organization is real, I wonder if we can obtain their records in us to determine the veracity of what they are sharing among all thr subscribing LE organizations. Can FAC contact them for us and ask via a letterhead?
Offender Watch is a software vendor that many law enforcement agencies use.
What the H?? Ok, I’ve got a couple questions. In Florida? If so, which county? Are you on probation? Did he show you a badge at all? Are you sure he was an officer? My officer always drives an undercover vehicle and he has been asking me to step outside so that he can stay in his car and he can remain that ridiculous 6 foot distance. Put the rest of it I have never heard of. And frankly, it is very unnerving that they would start this new program and nobody would notify us in advance. Sometimes I feel like it would just be better if I died so that I did not have to deal with this and try to protect my family all of this crap as well.
It would help if you told us what county and state you live in. I always grab a pen and paper and walk to the car and write down the license plate number. Phonies freak out if you do that. Checks here in Michigan where I live are done by uniformed officers in marked cars. Always best to simply call the sheriff’s department to make sure it was legitimate.
Gerald
The Deputy who checks on me once a year is ALWAYS in an unmarked car. I told him I appreciate that as people will not wonder why cops are at my door. He then reminded me, “Well the uniform, and bullet proof vest that says “Sheriff” on it would probably be a clue that cops are at your house”. LOL
I am in Florida
Good Day
Just did a search on Offenderwatch.com it’s large and is a program agencies can use to track Registered citizens.
Check it out and you can find out what states they are in and also which agencies in a state use it. In Florida it seems it’s around 15.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravatar
For those who are not aware of this site.
This doesn’t pass the smell test as far as I’m concerned. This supposed sheriff sounds awful fishy to me. I wonder what State he is in because he only has to report once a year?
My questions are. What county did this happen in. Is this Offender Watch really a thing. And are we obligated to comply if it is
what do we expect when cops are parole/probation officers instead of enforcing the law? What about the guards in jail or prison violating the rights of someone based only on a conviction? This is insane and the government has their dirty hands in the cookie jar. When will society see the error of this bullcrap and do something. I won’t hold my breath anytime soon. This is more than crazy, it’s damn right wrong. “Little Johnny what do you what to be when you grow up? ” Mommy I want to track and harass people because I was an incompetent and neglectful parent.”
It’s not uncommon for US Marshalls to participate in mass compliance operations. But to my knowledge, not one of these operations has ever uncovered evidence of sexual abuse or exploitation. There are occasional arrests, mostly for registration failures.
Member Submission:
You never talk to the police and especially never step out of your house to talk to them unless you called them.
First, the sex offender registry is unconstitutional. No one should be cooperating with this. Period.
Do not fall for this nice guy routine. It sounds as if you are under investigation for an internet based crime. Shut your mouth and speak to a good criminal defense attorney.
Gerald:
What city in Michigan do you live in that they do checks in?
My old neighbor, Hal Nemecheck, was one of the first one’s put on the registry in Michigan. He was on the registry in Battle Creek until he died. He said the police were always polite and professional and he was in and out in 5 minutes each time he reported. He says the police never came to his door. The police in Lincoln Park never came to Fred Farnsworth’s door. My neighbor has been on the registry since 2010 and the last I spoke to him, the police never came to his door.
The only person I am aware of that the police actually came to his door was one of the Detroit registrants that went on strike in 2008 and refused to register.
In Florida it’s mandated they do address verification.
The local Authorities changed the name to Compliance Check, right after the legislature bowed to a crying Crack Head Loser
It was in North Florida. I am weary to say what county as this I am worried about being seen as a pot stirrer. I knew the officer as he is one in the Offender unit. I did not answer any questions other then what was on the paper. When he asked about those other accounts they were old and not direct communication accounts. I already have reached out to my lawyer who I send anything involving any irregularity to.
I have to register 2x a year then the sheriffs office comes out 2x to verify I live where I live. Like I said he told me that the Marshall’s office is requiring them to take photos of us in-front of our homes to prove to them we live there.
After reading this thread I am struck by the absolute necessity to know the laws in one’s particular state. For registrants in my state who aren’t on some sort of supervision, residence checks are not required by law. End of discussion. It seems that in Florida counties and municipalities can add to state requirements. FAC, is that true? What a minefield that must be for registrants!
Police quite frequently push beyond their authority. So it is self defense for citizens, particularly SOs, to know where those limits are before attempting any pushback. Power seekers absolutely hate it when the boundaries of that authority are pointed out to them, and will retaliate. Oh and for the life of me, I can’t figure why the U.S. Marshalls are involved in residence checks.
The offender watch website seems to be dedicated to perpetuating stereotypes about SOs. Their safety flyers stress stranger danger, and how to avoid registrants. There is unsurprisingly no mention of the 95% of molestations that involve family or friends. They are effectively creating a private SO registry. Being private, it does not have the same–albeit minimal–constitutional and privacy requirements that constrain government institutions. I would not give one iota of information to them.
Veritas.
Ed
What state is that?
My Charges here in Florida are from 1991 and have been off of paper since 2003. I still get compliance and address checks. Sometimes once a year and sometimes 4 times a year depending on how bored they are.
If you are on the registry here, you will get at least one check per year. When I lived in a small city, I got harassed out the @#%. I had the sheriffs office come by quite often but the city cops busted my chops sometimes 3 times a week. If I was not home, they plastered a banner on my door stating I needed to be home or else. As soon as I got off probation, I moved from that house and got out of the heck out of dodge. I am on my third move in 16 years now.
I tried to move to another state once but it seems a lot of the rules follow you where ever you go so I stayed where at least I knew what to expect. Many states, if you are on the registry for life in Florida, you have to be on theirs for life as well.
I live in New Mexico.
To the person posting this
If you do not recognize the officer , the uniform, the badge, the patrol car, and you have concerns, request their name and let them know you are calling the sheriffs / local police department responsible for your address checks, to verify they are legit.
Any officer who is legit is going to allow this (Maybe an exception for some a-hole cop that gets off on riling people up).
Even in prison you have the right to remain silent. That doesn’t mean it will end well for you but at least you cannot incriminate yourself. And in prison, it is a high probability that the officer is real.
I’m always alert of my surroundings outside my house and on my street because of the possible dangers of any kind to a registrant and their families, but after this member submission article, now I’m on higher alert. It sounds a bit fishy. But I don’t know anymore. I hate all this crap.
iservmytyme:
This is all illegal and they get away with it because registrants go along with it.
If you feel that it’s best to cooperate, read the law and give them the very minimum information the law requires and no more. This registrant was a fool to step out of his house and cooperate with the “police” without verification they are the police.
There are only two scenarios that make sense from the facts given. Either this was the police investigating this registrant for a crime or this was a vigilante seeking information. Most likely, it was really the police and this registrant will be sitting in jail regretting this conversation.
Detroit
It is also funny that, this sudden Offender Watch verification check came right after we all received an email survey asking us if we had ever violated any of the registry rules and not admitted it.
I am not a conspiracy person but it does seem they are trying to refill the prisons with ex sex-offenders all while releasing murderers, car jackers, drug king pins and other high profile offenders.
If we are all locked up, the state still gets money for the inmates, and you lose a lot of your freedoms like them looking through your stuff all the time. I lost gain time once because I had 4 pairs of socks when you were only suppose to be in possession of 3 at any one time. I can now put that on my Resume’ (Convicted Sock hoarder)
AC;
It’s unfortunate that registrants have to always watch their back because they are being harassed, assaulted and killed.
Most people now carry cell phones with cameras. Always take a picture of the person identifying himself as the police, his vehicle and his license plate. If you don’t believe he is a real law enforcement officer, file a police report.
Most attorneys are recommending that registrants don’t answer the door during these “compliance checks”. I am not aware of any law, rule or regulation requiring registrants to be photographed in front of their house.
This is a clear overstepping of police boundaries and should be challenged, in court if necessary.
The down side if that is this.
If I am home and the deputy comes by, he says hi, says see you in a year (Unless someone else is filling in) and leaves me alone for an entire year. He knows I don’t give him crap and he leaves me alone.
Now, when I am not home he leaves a banner on my door stating he tried to check on me. If that happens a second time then he leaves a bigger banner on the door. He puts his cell phone on the first one and I always reach out to tell him when I will be home so he can get on to the next person.
If I refused to answer the door, after 3 attempts he said they would mark me as “Not able to verify address” and not sure what happens after that and do not want to find out. Before you say that is illegal, it doesn’t matter as even an illegal arrest still counts towards your getting off the registry. I am NOT willing to mess that up.
I do not make waves and stay off their “Retribution” radar.
In Florida, as far as address verifications go, you have 3 weeks to respond from the initial date of attempted contact.
Although, as we all know, Florida lives to change things without notice.
Detroit;
I did that once already back in 2014 when some young guy knocked on my door saying he was a county official and he had no credentials on him, parked his car in the corner, and was just saying the wrong things making him seem more suspicious. I have cameras on my house with audio, I also collaborate with neighbors and they have cameras as well in which some focus on my house and they give me copies as well if I ask for them with no hesitation. I had called the police and filed a report. Just to let them know and also to have a file of the incident in their system even if nothing came out of it. The cop told me I did the right thing and to always do that no matter how big or small. He went around the neighborhood driving very slowly for about 30 minutes looking for the guy and the vehicle he used which I have on camera and then he parked outside my house writing the report for about an hour before departing. After that weird incident. I record and report any weird incident that I encounter. At this point with registrants and the the dangers that the registry poses on all of us, anything is possible.
In Michigan, you have a right to resist an unlawful arrest. see State v Moreno, Michigan Supreme Court, 2012. I don’t know how to download things onto this website so can’t download this case to this website.
I don’t recommend resisting the police when you are confident that they are in fact the police. Police misconduct in your home is a different story.
convictedsockhoarder-you should have been taken out and shot.
It seems that only certain counties have paid to belong to Offender Watch and that this is being done only at the county level. https://www.communitynotification.com/counties.php?state=FL According to their website, the service is meant to provide “up to date technology” in the form of an app that the public can use. Technology that is not available via the State website. The question of the day of course is, is this legal? How far above and beyond the law requiring the State to maintain a publicly available list as well as laws allowing for public notification are counties allowed to go? They claim not to share information with law enforcement meaning they take no action of their own, but they do provide a way for law enforcement to share information directly with them. What additional information law enforcement would be sharing beyond what is already publicly available I do not know. County officials sharing information with a third party website, beyond what the State Registry contains? Sounds fishy.
“It seems that only certain counties have paid to belong to Offender Watch and that this is being done only at the county level.” Has anyone noticed that the same counties subscribing to this service are the same counties with the worst reputations in dealing with citizens forced to register? FAC, please note!!!
rpsabq
Many of the Florida counties listed on that list are also counties that contain FDOC prisons. Interesting
CherokeeJack
As a convicted sock hoarder you should let your sheriff’s office know how many and what color socks you have. After all once a sock hoarder, always a sock hoarder!!
Brandon
Yes busted
I sleep with several pairs of socks and cuddle with them. I am obsessed with them an need help. Not sure I would pass a polygraph if asked about my sock fetish.
And don’t tell but I have pairs of socks that I did not disclose to the sheriff’s office. Hope they don’t do a search warrant or I’ll be up socks creek.
Can you be arrested for being an SO…sox offender?
Capt
That is a new statue they just passed in the legislation session.
On a serious note, they do seem to spend more time finding new ways to mess with ex offenders than actually helping people.
Heads of household who get sent to prison have a higher rate of their children acting out.
Their families have a higher rate of becoming homeless without the extra income from the main bread winner (Yes I know women can also be the bread winner) just making a point in fact.
I drove by a sheriffs department the other day on my way to the doctor. I was sitting at the light and it was about 39 degrees outside and all the people waiting to register were standing outside in the freezing cold, waiting to be let in, one at a time.
They’ll be making us paint our houses RED next..
Facts
Red is better than pink. Several sheriffs use to make inmates wear pink jumpsuits
Regardless of what the statutes or policies are, I still maintain that “compliance checks” are 4th Amendment violations.
Unless there is cause to suggest a registry violation, there’s no reason to investigate compliance. More often than not, the only “cause” is that registry restrictions are so vague, self-conflicting, or amended without notice that full compliance is impossible.
Funny how inalienable – unable to be taken away from or given away – rights are somehow alienable for registrants and registrants alone.
Dustin
It comes down to not whether it is legal or not, but rather, whether a judge has the conscience enough to rule these as punitive, which in turn would rule them illegal.
They keep stating the legislatures made the laws, therefor they are gods and it must all be legal since obviously the supreme court is NOT impartial.
It is funny because supreme court is “For life” so what are they so afraid of?
Dustin:
“Compliance checks” are a Fourth Amendment violation. The reason they get away with them is because no one challenges them in court. The best way to challenge them in court is in a criminal case such as an FTR.
What “compliance” are they checking honestly? I do my twice a year i report my travel even under three days with the sheriff. Why is local pd doing this to me?
Never understood why they really harass my wife into telling them where i am if im not at home. I dont think we need to.
I do not read anywhere in the statutes that you have to go through what this guy did. Yes, an address verification is required, but taking your picture outside your home, coming back later for another picture, asking you to verify your info for OffenderWatch — is this legal?
We recently wrote about this and posted a video about why people should exercise their right to remain silent.
You should show your ID and that’s it. Not another word. If they insist, ask if you are in custody and if no, ask them to leave. If yes, exercise your right to remain silent.
I just want to add to exercise your 6th Amendment right to a lawyer if (and the moment when) you are placed in custody. The first word out of your mouth when being questioned in custody is “lawyer.”
Facts should matter:
You’re wrong. You need to exchange your red paint for florescent orange. And don’t forget to paint “DANGEROUS SEX OFFENDER” in large letters across the front, back, sides and roof of your house in black paint.
This all must be done pursuant to Chapter 13, section 4(A), subsection 318(G)(2)(a)(7), part 407(D)(5)(a). And if you fail to match the proper shade of each color, you will be violated and pick up an FTR.
Detroit
Dang, I am screwed then. Home depot is fresh out of all those colors
Also, you’re required to where florescent orange socks and if you fail to do so, this will be a dress code violation and another FTR. I’ll get into your hair color in another post.
The subsection dealing with “identifiable pubic hair color” will require several posts.
FAC,
Did you vet this story before publishing it?
What state?
What county?
Is the submitter on probation?
This looks like a fear-mongering hoax to me.
Florida,
A county in North Florida – the individual chimed in on the comments
Okay, so that answers one of my four questions.
The individual can answer. What they submitted was the information we posted. We verified the person is a member but cannot answer on their behalf. If they feel comfortable providing more information, it’s their story to tell. We’re not outing anybody or providing information they didn’t feel comfortable to give. We’re sharing the information with members.
No I am not on probation and have not been for 2 years.
This is nothing more than a waste of taxpayers money so the Sherriff can show how much he is doing to keep the community safe. They are basically duplicating what the FDLE is already recording and reporting on their website. They selling point is it is updated immediately.
Of course, if they abolished the registry and went back to the way things were in the old days, there would be absolutely no change in the number of sex crimes committed. There has never been a reason to let the facts get in the way of playing on people’s emotions.
Is Offender Watch even part of law enforcement? They sound separate, so why would law enforcement be gathering information for them?
It’s a private company. Agencies license their technology.
This actually is a good post and I’m glad FAC posted this.
We need to get these stories out in the open. Any unusual “compliance check” needs to be brought out and discussed in an open forum. This is the best way to deal with this harassment. Also, many of us who read this aren’t on the registry and aren’t fully aware of what’s actually going on with the registry. Probably even many registrants aren’t aware of some of these tactics. By airing these tactics on this forum, it gives registrants the opportunity to think of what they would do in a particular situation so they can respond appropriately and without fear should they encounter a similar situation. Law enforcement has the element of surprise. When registrants share their individual experiences, this deprives law enforcement of the element of surprise.
The registrants who follow this forum, I believe, are better informed and better able to handle a situation that is outside of the norm.
These stories must be documented and brought to the various attorneys attention arguing these cases. The police derive their powers through the laws and the constitutions of their respective states. If this is a law enforcement officer and these facts are true, then this officer exceeded what the law requires him to do. What this “officer” did probably wasn’t “illegal” but it is clear he went beyond the scope of his duties. In this situation, the registrant should have stayed inside his house and if he cooperates, should only have cooperated to the extent required by law. In my opinion, I don’t believe any registrant not on probation or parole, should comply with these compliance checks. Essentially, the government has placed you on “probation” without a conviction. The Fifth Amendment states that you cannot be compelled to be a witness against yourself. Telling someone to sign a “registration form” or go to jail is patently coercive. And yet registrants don’t challenge this in court and allow these signed registration forms into evidence proving they know what the law requires of them.
The only logical explanation for this “officer’s” conduct is that this registrant is under criminal investigation and I believe that he will be regretting that he was so cooperative.
What a HORRIBLE country to be living in. How do you guys even accept this? How is this even remotely MORALLY acceptable to harass people like this?
This country is arguably as oppressive as Communist China. Prove Me Wrong.
You are absolutely right Joe. The saddest part is that there over a million registrants and the laws are still getting tougher.
This war will not be won by playing nice. These registrants need to make the largest impact on the system as possible. They need to drag their feet all the way through.
Registrants should not accept jobs at anything below the market value of their labour had they not been convicted. If society wants to underpay sex offenders, let society be crushed under the burden of providing adequate welfare to those offenders. If they do not provide, take.
Any national event – protests, riots, etc. that have the potential for national social destabilization – registrants should be there, rocking the boat and lighting the flames. The sooner this nation of sanctimonious hypocrites crumbles and burns to ash, the sooner justice can be restored.
Finally, registrants with nothing to lose should not be meekly crawling into a corner and taking their own lives. This is only met with the jeers, cheers, and applause of the public. The public and prosecutors laugh, spit on the offenders grave, and mock the aggrieved family of the offender.
These registrants should be taking devastating and overwhelming vengeance on the fascists responsible for their state. The prosecutorial-carceral state has created a climate of fear. Trying to promote love and understanding in this climate, as evidenced by the failure of advocacy to create positive change, will only be met with failure. They need to fear registrants as much as registrants fear them. They need to suffer what registrants have suffered. They need to be crushed, broken, and laid low. Our lights should go out in nothing but a blaze of vengeance and vindictive justice. They will never believe registrants are not monsters, so might as well show them what real monsters are like.
This will be great material for Lauren Book and other registry advocates in the legislature, if they mine our forum.
If acted upon, great for the news media as well. I can just imagine the headline: “Sex Offenders Vow Revenge on Society that Misunderstands Them.” THAT will promote change, but perhaps not the type of change we’re looking for.
If this is what officers believe they will encounter during address verifications, then they will be well-armed.
Do you get that society fears registrants ALREADY, and that is what we’ve had to fight against.
bwj:
Offenderwatch is making a boatload of money off of the registry and pushing predator panic to keep the money coming in. Offenderwatch doesn’t care about “public safety”. They only care about keeping the cash coming in.
If you do not know where you are going you must be careful because you might get there.