As Hurricane Dorian approaches, don’t wait until the last minute
It’s that time of year again: Hurricane Season.
With the first potential Hurricane to hit Florida this coming Monday, WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO CONTACT THEIR LOCAL REGISTRATION OFFICE TO FIND OUT WHAT PROVISIONS ARE BEING MADE FOR PERSONS REQUIRED TO REGISTER IN YOUR COUNTY AND SHARING THAT INFORMATION IN THE COMMENTS TO THIS POST.
THE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR YOUR COUNTY REGISTRATION OFFICE CAN BE FOUND HERE: https://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/Documents/REREGISTRATIONLOCATIONS.pdf
Remember, if you plan to evacuate your residence for three or more days, you will have an obligation to register, IN PERSON, wherever you are staying as a temporary residence within 48 hours before evacuating. You should also ensure that your expected evacuation location does not run afoul of any sex offender residency restrictions (SORRs) or you could expose yourself to arrest for simply being there.
Emergency evacuations are MUCH, MUCH more complicated for someone on the registry than anyone else. Please do not wait until the last minute to make your plans. Please check to see if your county’s information has already been updated in the comments before calling.
Pinellas county: You can not go to the county jail if you need to evacuate. The only place is the Largo re-entry facility. Not sure if you can take your family with you.
As I look at the devastation on the Bahama island I can’t help what wonder just where are the people going to live while rebuilding. I cannot see where they could even stay. There has to be more people than places for them so live.
The news talks about the deaths and damage but not about what is going to happen to those who lost their homes and everything they owned.
Here in Florida we kind of dodged a bullet. I feel blessed that all I had was rain this time. Three years ago I wasn’t quite so fortunate. But at least I didn’t lose my home.
This may be a little off the subject of the FAC but I just felt a need to express my concerns.
Although this article is from back when Irma went through, it is very good and gives a lot of good information and some eye openers. Mentions many counties with some offering shelters and some telling you to go pack sand.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/florida-counties-sheltered-sex-offenders-irma
After reading this PBS report, I checked online for information on the lawsuit filed. There are plenty of articles on the lawsuit being filed and why, but I could not find out if the lawsuit went anywhere. It was filed in September of 2017.
Most likely it was quietly dismissed. You can try and look up the contact info for the lawyer who filed the suit and maybe he will email you back. On the one hand you want everyone to have shelter, on the other hand I can see them wanting to protect children etc. but there are plenty of bad actors not on the registry who could very easily still get access to the kids in the shelter. It is all a show by law enforcement.
PUTNAM COUNTY
If a person is a registered sex offender and will not pass the instant background check, they will be directed to report to Ochwilla Elementary School in Hawthorne, where they will be sheltered in a separate area, Waters-Merritt said.
“We want to make it clear that those who are offenders will be sheltered, but they will not be housed together with the general public,” Waters-Merritt said. “They will be separated from the general population and not be allowed to intermingle.”
Extra law enforcement personnel will be assigned to the shelter, Waters-Merritt said.
Although it is NOT a designated shelter, the Orlando International Airport is a safe place to ride out a hurricane. I’ve done it several times. Because it’s not a designated shelter, there is no check-in requirements. And it is perfectly legal to be there. LE leaves you alone as long as you dont look suspicious.
thats an awesome idea
And they have generators and even if youre just in the parking garage its safer than anywhere else and has water and bathrooms before the check in areas. Thats where the fam have spent one or two of these. Load up the trunk with food but realize youd probably be paying for the parking. Another place are the free courthouse prking garages themselves: volusia county has a pretty big one and secure and free.
Marion County The only shelter for SO’s is the County Jail.
They do that in Orange county as well. Check yourself into the county jail. This means if you were a single parent, you couldn’t even stay in the shelter with your own child while a scary storm blows through. Your child would already be scared with the storm brewing, now add to that , that Daddy has to go to jail for a few days, even though he did not break the law. Mind blowing ( And again, they say NONE of this is punitive, just business as usual )
Orlando.com said for Osceola Co: County’s Beaumont Street Facility at 330 N. Beaumont Ave. Kissimmee, FL 34741