The Sad “Operation March Sadness”
It’s only half-way through the month of March, but Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County, who is now infamous for his name and shame press conferences touting the “success” of sex stings, has already netted more than 100 people in his latest operation which he named “Operation March Sadness”.
The operation was promoted to the media as a “six-day human trafficking sting” but it’s unclear from the press conference whether any human trafficking victims were rescued as a result. By the numbers, there were a couple dozen people arrested for “Offering to Commit Prostitution”, Roughly 80 people arrested for “Seeking a Prostitute”, 4 that appear on the poster as “child sex predators” and one woman under the heading of “Charged with Human Trafficking”
Let’s start with an analysis of whether this can really be considered a successful “human trafficking operation”. When less than 1% of the targets are actually arrested for human trafficking and more than 96% arrested for prostitution-related offenses, it’s not really a successful human trafficking sting, is it?
Next, the couple dozen people charged with “offering to commit prostitution”… aren’t they technically the victims here? Why were they arrested and why are they on the poster? As far as the majority of the busts… the 80 people arrested for “seeking a prostitute” are technically committing a misdemeanor. Again… not what you consider when thinking of a human trafficker and actually not a human trafficker at all.
I’m going to divert from my thoughts on the sting operation for a minute to make a point about “seeking a prostitute”. Remember three years ago the Florida legislature enacted Florida Statute 943.0433, the “Soliciting for Prostitution Public Database”? Well if a 6-day operation netted 80 people, I was curious to see how many thousands of people were added to the public database in three years, so I checked. 28. Yes twenty-eight. Not 28,000. Just 28. Odd.
Anyhow, so getting back to the Polk County sting. The four men listed as “child sex predators” are not listed on the FDLE registry as sexual predators or sexual offenders. In order to be classified as a “predator”, the person must meet specific criteria set forth in Florida Statute 775.21. Not sure why the Sheriff promoted them on his poster as such.
As far as the one “human trafficker”, according to one news report, “[a]ccording to the sheriff’s office, 32-year-old XXXXXX XXXXXXÂ was arrested for trafficking another woman. Deputies say they learned Nash repeatedly threatened violence against the woman, who is an adult if she didn’t prostitute herself.” If true, horrible, not exactly the “human trafficking” one envisions, but still horrible. But what if the trafficking victim told police that just to avoid getting arrested? “Officer, she made me do it” By no means saying that’s what happened, but definitely suggesting the truth come out in court before we go out there with press conferences and scary headlines.
Florida – they like to twist the words and thoughts of others to their evil heart advantage. Then they crucify you without listening…
For a change this article is good about this “March Madness” ordeal in this sex offender issue. Even many of the comments are good but when facts turn to fiction where does one turn to. How can people be labeled a sex offender when some didn’t even offend another in this March sadness operation. isn’t this whole operation a bit one sided. Isn’t more of this a harlot prostitution operation via this thing called internet rather than real physical ordeals. There’s where your madness comes in.
Did you all know that the heart is evil above all things, who can know it. Are authorities leading one into temptation with many and much of these encounters. Was reading Cherokee’s comment and many more on here and it seems that this March madness or sadness is a call to the real justice behind the branding that one goes thru in this registry ordeal that is a vain as someone taking the glory for this temptation in many issues or forms the registry can produce. Don’t get me wrong or anyone else protection is good if it protects. Can one prevent a drunk driver?
Sure LE or judges seems to grade people up in to categories such as Tiers they label them some violent, some mild, and some being mislead by guess who Authorities. Does one wonder if we are all born into trouble or do authorities make that trouble more of a devilish operation.
Hey is this operation March sadness a call to act to eliminate much of this registry as a lot of the foundation is a bit one size fits all.
“…Not sure why the Sheriff promoted them on his poster as such.”
Because Grady Judd is like a real-life Barney Fife!
JJJJJJ
….So Today, Someone, With whom I work, A Lady in Her Late 50’s, Saw The Elmer Fudd News Report and HIs ‘Yet to be Famous Posters’ that He Prints and Puts into the Background….
and Then She Says to me, ‘These Creeps work at Disney…Now, I do not want to go to Disney with my Grandchildren this summer”…I Laughed Out Loud, So Loud, Everyone Looked at Me…..I took her aside.,,still laughing with a Big Smile on My Face and Explained to Her About The WHOLE SHEBANG!
..I am not, still, so sure, that She Believes in the Truths, Facts, Etc that I Spoke About; However, She Did, Give Me Hug As I was Leaving This Evening and Thanked Me For Explaining Tings to Her!
It Took A lot of Balls for Me To Stand Up and let Her Know About ME!
-I DID IT!
Truth
Although I am strong Christian, sadly I trust no one. I have been burned too many times. I am so untrusting that when I look in the mirror, I point at myself and say “I am watching you mister” lol
I guess that kind of goes with the old saying “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. I have had so many jobs I was at for years, and as soon as someone mentioned my registry Glamor shots photo and details, I would get fired. Even though the boss already knew, the publicity was not a welcomed event.
Congratulations on standing up. It is so hard, and so vital!
Simply put – Supervision of what and where the money is being used for. Also, keeping egoism out etc. However, this needs to be done throughout government, courts, etc. Innocent people are having their lives ruined because a judge may not get elected again. We the people need to follow the constitution. Oh, but how can that be done when Florida makes up their own laws.
Entrapment
Even if they win in court, they lose. Attorneys are not free and most public defenders if you use one, are so overworked, many of them encourage their clients to take a plea even if they say they are innocent.
No – you can not win because courts etc. are corrupt, and the court’s soldiers follow the money trail.
FAC has filed challenges in multiple courts, none of which are corrupt in any way.
When it comes to stings – Gennette’s case??? However, the appellate court reversed and corrected it. Stings bring in lots of money not to mention that they keep the system running.
It’s ICROCK recession time protocol, which has them begging for money from the government. To do so, ICAC overinflates the appearance of charges to Congress. Congress awards the grants when they see child solicitation risen over 1000%. This is what happened to us in Florida circa 2007. The only way to affect change in law enforcement is by blowing out their finances: what they’re doing with them, and the efficacy of that. Performance reports show they’re lax dealing with child trafficking, complaints taking 2 or 3 weeks to even be addressed.
Economy is the only system government and American corporations respect; law enforcement is a corporation with governmental authority, but they’re not part of the government like military. They’re on their own for funding, especially in the south where no unions exist. The dope game is the main source of income law enforcement relies on outside unions–basically we wouldn’t be able to afford modern law enforcement without the drug game. Once in a while these sex gigs are easy, safe grant wins. Outside of constantly having to justify performance on paper for grants, I don’t believe they get much from the main government sources like taxes.
Entrapped
As a former law enforcement officer myself, I do not agree with militarizing the police. The Government issued many departments tank like vehicles and other war time operations equipment that has no business on the streets. If it is that bad, then you call in the National guard.
Plowing down people’s walls of their house just because they bought or sold some drugs is insane. AND to be clear, I am not sticking up for any crime, especially what I was accused of (by the police, not by any victim).
Way back when I worked in law enforcement, I saw even then, what was happening with the power hungry, out of control freaks. A major reason why I left. The night sticks we were issued were so often abused and were removed from almost all departments after the Rodney King incident. By the way, they were officially called PR-24 Batons.
Agreed Cherokee. Although I’ve heard at least one police chief refer to his department as a para-military force, they are not. They are a police force. History shows that the decline into totalitarianism occurs in step with the militarization of the police and the “policization” of the military.
So when are folks âsex workersâ who are misunderstood and abused and when are they âhuman trafficking victimsâ who require rescuing? Still a bit confused about that. But I do know one thing. A 40 year old overweight shaved head male rood head Polk County deputy posing as someone else online qualifies as NEITHER.
One thing about these stings that bothers me (besides mostly everything) is that if offering prostitution is a crime and being sex trafficked is not could make shrewd sex workers falsely claim victim status to avoid charges. This would only serve to help the sheriff office by making them look like they are saving more victims, thus further fueling the LE machine. Perhaps this is already happening in some places.