It’s Confirmed: recent “compliance checks” were an “operation”
We have received a spike in comments and contacts from people who have had address verifications, many of which involving multiple jurisdictions over the last two weeks. We suspected it was part of one of these “operations” taking place in certain counties, such as Brevard, Bay and others. You know the ones… Its where they round up a bunch of people, mostly on petty technical violations, and then put out press releases such as the one in Bay County where they announce “Operation Watchdog” arrests 37 people in sex offender sting.
Only these are not, for the most part, new sex offenses. These are mostly technical violations, such as not registering a broken down trailer in a backyard. And for the 29 people who were arrested for a technical violation, such as not registering a trailer, they (as you can see from the below press conference) want “Take this element out of our communities”
Oh and naturally this is a “joint operation” between local, police, the FDLE, the US Marshals, Department of Homeland Security…
In the media it’s called “click bait”, in this case it’s Federal Grant bait.
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This is happening in Marion county Florida as well. I was arrested for a not registered utility trailler and a mess up on my vehicle tag registration. The trailer as not been used in over ten years. It never was titled or registered for plates. The car was a pure mistake, which I went to the sheriff’s station to try to explain and explain and make it right. Ended up arrested they didn’t want to here anything. Best off they already had all the right info and tried to get me to lie and catch me at it. This seems like entrapment to me. The sheriff has more info available to them and they already know what we own in vehicles. How is this keeping the public safe? It is all about money and making them look needed to keep us on a leash.
@Al: As long as your trailer is listed in your registration, you’re fine. Just make sure it’s listed. Even if it doesn’t have a plate.
a man from Dothan, is being charged with traveling to meet a minor for a sexual act, solicitation of a minor for sexual act, use of two-way communications device, and distributing obscene material to a minor. Good old Florida pushing these charges again. The new administration must be cutting funds so they are now going to increase their stings and anything else they can trap a person with. Yes definitely Federal Grant bait.
Someone came to my door while I was in the shower. I looked at video footage. He wouldn’t look directly at the camera. Even though the camera works 24 / 7, I wouldn’t know to check it unless someone presses the doorbell as that is how I get an alert. He pushed the bell.
Of course I can pour through hours of video footage but that is exhausting. He did not come back and did not leave any card so good ridence. Must not have been that important.
This operation targeted Bay County only. It doesn’t explain the Brevard and other(?) county activities.
correct – this was just one county’s press release.
My bet is, there will be more…they have to justify their jobs and do so with these laws and operations.
We’re somewhat new to this so I was wondering if someone could clarify something for us. When you say trailer, what type of trailer do you mean? We know someone who was a utility trailer that attaches to the hitch of their truck and they were told they did not need to register it since it can’t be driven alone. Just wanted to see if anyone else had knowledge on this.
@Bee: If it needs a plate, it needs to be registered. Don’t take ANY chances. Both work vehicles are registered, and it’s not even my business. One of the terms law enforcement uses is “vessel”, to which they mean boat and/or trailer. Not just boat trailer, but utility trailer as well. If it attaches to your vehicle or it’s something you drive, put it on the list.
So, out of these 38 arrests, 24 were foe FTR, mainly due to failing to update social media info. Only 11 were real crimes and 3 supervision violations.
[sarcasm] I’m sure society feels oh so much safer now thatthe Bay County Sheriff’s Office, The US Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Panama City Police Department. Lynn Haven Police Department, Panama City Beach Police Department, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement has protected us from people setting up social media and owning trailers. [/sarcasm]
What a waste of money and resources during this pandemic.
29, I think
@Derek Logue: This reminds me of a multi agency drug task force sweep in the late 80’s along Fisheating Creek in Venus, Florida. The local sheriff and other agencies announced they were going to comb the shores of the creek for miles looking for pot plants. After spending millions, they found one plant. They immediately tried to downplay the search, but a local Lake Placid paper picked it up and even won some award for the reporting. This is what happens when law enforcement needs to justify next year’s budget increase and they have nothing better to do because crime is actually down. Closing jails and prisons is just bad politics because it’s losing jobs, even if the jobs aren’t actually needed. Tale as old as time.
Personally, I wonder what this county’s record is on other types of crime look like. As in, how many unsolved murders and robberies? Gang and drug activity? Have they cleaned all that up so well that they can dedicate so much time and resources to find out whether or not their registry population forgot to register their father’s sister’s cousin’s brother’s neighbor’s former roommate’s ex-girlfriend’s BFF’s mom’s other son’s bike left in the yard 3 years ago?