9 Investigates uncovers proposed plan to make sex offenders pay yearly fee
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Sheriff’s offices all over central Florida spend tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to keep tabs on sex offenders.
But 9 Investigates uncovered one state has a plan to make the sex offenders carry some of that burden.
Channel 9’s Myrt Price asked lawmakers and law enforcement officials whether that plan could work in Florida.
The offenders are required to register, and deputies work around the clock to monitor and to track those who don’t provide addresses or abscond from where their supposed to be living.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it spends about $10,000 a year to keep track of convicted sex offenders.
“While we do some supplemental funding from the state level, the counties and the sheriff bear the brunt of this monitoring program,” said State Sen. Darren Soto.
In Polk County, they spend more than $200,000 a year.
“To know exactly where they are, where they’re working, where they’re living,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
However, lawmakers in Tennessee gave sheriff’s offices a way to offset those costs by requiring sex offenders to pay $150 a year. And, $100 of that goes to the law enforcement agency where the offender is registered.
Soto believes similar legislation could work in Florida.
“I think a sliding scale may be appropriate,” said Soto. “We’re going to be looking into it for potential sponsorship next year.”
Judd weighed in on the issue.
“It’s not that I wouldn’t be for it because offsetting the costs to the taxpayers is a good thing,” said Judd.
But unlike Soto, he is not convinced a law like that would work in Florida.
“I just don’t think the majority of them can afford to pay, and they’ll quit paying, quit registering and quit showing up and be a bigger problem,” Judd said.
Soto believes in order for the plan to be effective, the fee would have to be on a sliding scale, so only those who can afford to pay it would be required to.
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gee the first time I have ever heard Shady Grady say something that was even close to intelligent! LOL besides what they fail to mention is that in addition to tax dollars they also get assistance from the federal Government for being compliant with AWA
Well, since there is no longer a link here to post a response to the story, I am doing so by replying to Karen. Am I the only one paying $25 every six months when I have to re-register? Wasn’t there also an older story on FAC about the state passing legislation to double that to $50? That would make it $100 for offenders and $200 for predators already! So this $150 is on top of that? By the way, the reason Polk County spends so much is because their entire economy is based on a sex-sting industry.
I am a tax payer and on the registry, my alleged crime was over 25 years ago, never found guilty, and they think i should pay a yearly fee. .. get real, the general public wants these laws, the general public can pay for the laws
End this meaningless registry. Or register all citizens as everyone has potential to do wrong. The gestapo or KGB would go for this. First of all register politicians.
Your 100% correct
why not make drug dealers pay – track them – take their money away and use it to track sex offenders – who many are homeless and have no jobs.
Drug dealers paying for sex offenders. Sounds like a plan to me.
Extortion,period! If you voted it into Legislation, you pay for it. If tax payers want to save millions, end the registry.
So what’s in store for me next? Having to register how much I make a year?