It seems strange that law enforcement has enough staff and resources to run around cities and counties doing compliance checks. That basically serve no purpose if a person is actually registering. But they do not have enough staff to be in their office during the hours that are allotted for people to register or have enough trained staff to do the simple registering so the people that are required to register within a certain time limit during the month can be in compliance with the law. Not only that but some sheriffs offices are adding extra rules and regulations that are outside of the law and thereby not legal, to the registration requirements. In one case when a person comes in to register, they are required to strip and put on prison uniforms for their pictures. I guess the question that needs to be asked is why law-enforcement is doing this? Is it lack of staff & funding or desire to harass, bully and torment because of a few and law-enforcement bigotry? I personally believe that most law enforcement are good and honest people. But like any organization, a few bad apples can ruin it for everyone.
In a recent letter to SOSEN a woman in Connecticut, told us a story about what was going on with her fiancée
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing on behalf of my fiance. A few years ago we were having problems with our local law enforcement agency refusing to protect our Constitutional rights of life, liberty, equality, and justice because my fiancée is a registered sex offender. I contacted numerous political offices and advocates. Now our local sheriff’s office is refusing to let him register and this is NOT the first time.
When he received notice about the changes regarding registering we contacted The Unit Manager of the Criminal Justice Information Center of the Sex Offender Registry Unit, March 26th to get clarification about the changes. I asked Her if he still needed three pieces of personal mail when he registers. She asked me who made him do that because that was not a requirement. I told her the Roscommon County Sheriff’s office. She told us when he goes to register if he has any problems to contact her. May 13th He went to register. He was told he could not register because there was nobody there so he would have to come back. The officer, name unknown, told him he better have three pieces of personal mail when he comes back or he will not be able to register. my fiance shook his head no. The officer got very intimidating, pointed his finger, in a threatening manner, at my fiance and told him “do not shake your head no at me”. So I spoke up and told the officer that was not a requirement. The officer rudely told my fiance if he did not have three pieces of personal mail he was not to come back, he then turned around and went back inside his office. They REFUSED to allow him to register. We left and called The Unit Manager like she told us to. I spoke with a different manager and told her what happened. She told my fiancée to go to the MSP in Houghton Lake because they would not refuse him. This issue was supposed to be addressed with the Roscommon County Sheriff’s office the following day. My fiancée went to the MSP and he was able to register WITHOUT personal mail. Roscommon County Sheriff’s office refusing to let him register puts him in a catch 22. I have the notice when he is to register and office hours are M-F 8-5, but most of the time either no one is there or no one knows what to do, among other excuses we have been told.
(the Supreme Court has stated that lack of funding or staff is not an excuse for providing necessary services required of state agencies)I am fed up with our local law enforcement being biased and getting away with it. My fiancée always does what is required so he does not become non-compliant and go back to jail, but how is he suppose to follow the laws set for him when our local sheriff’s office wants to set their own rules and refuse RSO’s to register when their rules are not followed. No wonder Roscommon County has alot of RSO’s becoming non-compliant and going back to jail. Law enforcement officials are required to RESPECT and protect human dignity and maintain and uphold the human rights of ALL persons. Something needs done.
It is also come to our attention that there is a video about this very thing on YouTube and the excuses given by Mult County in Oregon, if that the Sheriff’s office does not have the money or staff to allow people to register within the designated times that the Legislature has set up, since requiring to register is a punishable offense, if not perform. It would seem that the legislators have made it quite clear to the executive branch ( law-enforcement) that they had better allow a person to register whenever they walked in the door. The question arises are is this Sheriff’s office in Oregon,in doing compliance checks and wasting money there. http://youtu.be/5SFLMhEsXyo
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