FAC Letter to Volusia Sheriff and Public Records Request
It was recently brought to our attention that the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is requiring personal information from persons required to register who intended to travel. Specifically the means of travel (including copies of flight information) for domestic travel and purpose of travel for domestic and international travel.
If you are not on probation, you are not required to request permission to travel. Accordingly, your purpose for going someplace is none of the Sheriff’s office’s business. Similarly, if you travel domestically, you are not required to give your flight information or mode of travel. The registration statutes do not require it and to our knowledge there is no ordinance that requires that information to be collected.
FAC sent the following letter to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, to find out under what authority he is requesting this information, for what purpose it is collected and who is given access to this personal information. Separately, we sent a public information request to the records custodian for copies of these forms and what was done with them.
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I live in Hernando county also ask you flight information on mode of travel
Thanks for this information, Tom. Is that for DOMESTIC travel? Do they ask you to complete a form? If so, we will send a similar request.
Hernando county when travelling out of the state they ask you for your flight information car rental which hotel you’re staying here got me so nervous that one of the hotels that I was staying up. There was a problem with the room so I had to go to a different hotel. I called them immediately and let them know even though I was only staying for a couple days. Travelling isn’t exciting anymore. I rather stay home there’s too much drama involved in travelling Also when you go to the sheriffs department every time you go now you have to initial all like 22 regulations for sex offenders. If you don’t understand it they cannot explain it to you. The sheriffs department said you can refuse to sign in who knows what kind of trouble that will get you in and that every time you go there.
I would normally say don’t hold your breath for a response but from personal interactions my brother has had, he probably will. My brother was in Tomoka with camp doing the dog program. The sheriff was there interacting with press and CO’s. As soon as the moment was over outside food was offered to the workers and visitors. When offered to him he said, “I would rather starve than eat with this trash”. So if that low custody inmates, imagine how feelings for registered people. I’m interested in his response.
Good for you! People in authority must be kept within the bounds of that authority. That is how an ordered society functions. I sent deputies away from my home with the request to remind the sheriff that in my state he has no authority to perform residence checks. We have to stick up for ourselves when we are in the right. Kudos to FAC.
Yes I register twice a year and soon as I register twice a year the sheriff department sends someone out to my residence and checks the information that I just gave them. it seems to be very much of a waste of time and money. Are they required to check up on us like that. In the state of Florida.
@ Dan,
Yes. State law requires then to conduct residency verification. However, you are not compelled by law to give them any other information than showing your drivers license.
Ive been told to come back from my trip for that darn verification. I just dont understand
contact [email protected] and explain your situation.
Way to put their feet to the fire, FAC!!!! — Excellent!!
Thank you!!
That is some seriously jaw dropping overreach from law enforcement. I’m not particularly litigious nor am I an attorney but that seems like a worthwhile lawsuit. I suspect it’s occurring elsewhere as well and cannot wait to see how this plays out. Thank you!
I will be somewhat surprised if he responds back in part or at all.
It seems the general consensus of some of these sheriffs is they will do what seems right to THEM according to the law, which most times ends up they overstep their bounds.
Then we have to bring a lawsuit that God only knows how long it will be wrapped up in court while we fight and claw upward for an injunction or a judgement that at times gets appealed, and then finally, if we do win, all we get from the sheriff is “OK, I was wrong and I took things a little too far, because I was just trying to protect the public”.
In Summit County, Ohio, if you are under Megan’s Law, they also collect more information than what is required by requesting your home phone, vehicle make, color, model and year,( not just your license plate number ) and then posting all your vehicle information in a reverse look-up on the registry.
Also, an FTR is supposed to be only a felony 3 under Megan’s Law, but governor Mike Dewine has made it law that whatever your original felony is what your FTR will be thereby making his own change to Megan’s Law, so that now a felony 3 could be a felony 1 if that was your original charge.
Davd
And yet, they say the registry is “Not” punishment? What a joke. How can you be sent to prison for a non-punitive action? Double talk and speaking out of both sides of their mouths. Be ye not deceived my brethren.