Retired Officer Opposes Sex Offender Designation on New Florida Licenses
Shalimar, Florida’s WEAR ran a story on the newly designed Florida driver’s licenses. One surprising opinion about the new license came from a retired parole officer, who commented on the sex offender designation on licenses for those registered. Here’s what he had to say:
“The new license turns heads in Okaloosa County; including Don Gatchell’s. He’s a retired parole officer with the state of Florida who worries an old, but remodeled feature – a mandatory sexual offender identification on the card – may be too much.
“My honest opinion now that I have been out of it for 10 years, retired, I think we’re overdoing it with the sex offenders. I mean, I know there are some guys out there, sex offenders, that are bad, but not all sex offenders are bad. You got people out there who are on probation for underage sex for example,” Gatchell said. He worries the ID will cause unnecessary prejudice in the lives of those impacted”
While I do appreciate Mr. Gatchell’s support on this issue, I find this idea of a new license requirement absolutely ridiculous. If this turns out to be like Alabama’s D.L. in big red letter’s, that say’s “SEX OFFENDER”, I will not comply. I’m really tired of Florida’s government piling on more B.S. on us. I’m just so tired of being under Florida’s ” microscope ” all the time, and being on the bottom of their sewage. garbage dump. I’m 60 yrs old, a veteran, convicted in 1991 via plea bargain, tried so hard to live a decent life, been a good person in general, all of this just to be shit on by the state of Florida? I’m just so tired of it all. Don’t worry, I’m not depressed, I’m just EXTREMELY pissed.
That’s great to hear. If only more probation officers felt that way and were able to hear his comments.
Does this mean that the statute number is no longer used for those designated a just sex offenders.
No, it does not. Statute number is still used.
Thank you for the clarification. Predators get the stamp and SO’s get the FS#. Thanks again FAC.
It’s good to see that someone who has dealt with RSO’s can see that the law makers have gone way overboard in their actions. If anything, some of these laws encourage those who have a propensity to reoffend to do so as they lose hope of every being able to again live a normal life. There are some RSO’s, as there are in any class of offenders, who are dealing with deep seated mental problems and need extra attention. But to say once a person commits a crime they have established a life pattern is just plain foolishness. After all, we have all sinned in one way or another. I say ‘Bravo Zulu’ to the officer who has recognized this fact and may his opinion carry some weight in the fight for reason and justice.
i agree you might have made one mistake and you branded for life as and then again you can be branded as so with no proof but the word of mouth and to have to register for life is uncalled for when a person who is convicted for let’s say second degree murder only get’s 25 years or to make one mistake and be branded a felon florida has taken this whole thing to far register twice a year and then have to pay them for you going to do what your suppose to do you have to pay $25.00 each time you register paying for the paper then you have to wait for them to come to your home so they can come to your home and check on you ad the so registery has to go
It is nice to have someone such as this speak out. Now is this the statute on the SO and the words on the predators? Or did they change it?
Yes from what I can tell on the Florida DMV page. Scroll all the way down
https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/newdl/
Finally a voice of reason from someone in the trenches! Persecution of any group is not only in poor taste and behavior. Persecution leads to regretful consequences.