Part 1 Volusia County Florida

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This is a recollection of my first travel outside of my state (Florida) to Chicago suburbs for a family event.

I went to the VCSO in Volusia county and asked them what I needed to do to travel to another state. The Response from the woman behind the glass said. Come in at least 48 hours in advance, tell us where you are going and when you will return. [FAC NOTE: THE LAW SAYS ‘WITHIN 48 HOURS’ NOT ‘AT LEAST 48 HOURS’ THERE’S A DIFFERENCE]

I made all my reservations and went back in before my travel.This time they wanted way more information than they had specified in my first visit.

In addition to where and when I was traveling and when I would return they wanted exact address of where I would be staying, mode of travel (plane), flight numbers and flight times. Luckily I had a ll the paperwork with me. The required a complete Iteniary of my travel.

Flights, airline, depart and return dates and times

Hotel address

The only thing that was never asked for was info about the rental car. [FAC NOTE: THE LAW SAYS “Vehicles owned” means any motor vehicle as defined in s. 320.01, which is registered, coregistered, leased, titled, or rented by a sexual predator or sexual offender; a rented vehicle that a sexual predator or sexual offender is authorized to drive; or a vehicle for which a sexual predator or sexual offender is insured as a driver. The term also includes any motor vehicle as defined in s. 320.01, which is registered, coregistered, leased, titled, or rented by a person or persons residing at a sexual predator’s or sexual offender’s permanent residence for 5 or more consecutive days.”]

I gave the the name of the county in Illinois that I would be staying in and the name of the town as well, Dupage County, Village of Itasca. They said when I get there I should register with the local Sheriff.

I asked the Woman behind the glass what I needed to do when I returned to Florida. I asked “do I need to check in to the VCSO office when I Return”, she said no, and subsequently gave me a business card with and 386-248-1788 number and stated, just call this number and let us know.

When I Returned to Florida, I did call that number, got a voice message and left my name and stated that I had returned from travel. That was on Friday after 5pm. I never did receive any kind of verification that they had receivd the info that I had returned. That issue kind of dwelled on me during the next week, so I decided to go into the VCSO office to make sure it was recorded that I had returned. The Woman behind the glass stated that there was no mention in my record that I had returned. She then summoned an officer “Lee” and asked him about it. I could not see him but he said “sometimes when the voice messages are cleared they are just deleted”. I asked him what I should do in the future, he stated that “I was doing exactly the right thing”. But noted that he is retiring in a few months.

He gave me the names of two officers who would be handling this activity in the future.

Part 2 Itasca Village in DuPage County Illinois.

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I arrived at the Chicago airport on Friday and checked into my hotel. It was snowing, it was 4 degrees outside and traffic had slowed to less than 10 mph, and the temps were in the single digits. I decided to travel to the DuPage SO early the next morning (Saturday). I was not sure that they would be open but went there, about 25 miles from where I was staying in Itasca. When I got there, there was a red phone in the main office and I stated that I wanted to register. The Woman behind the glass slid a form to me and stated that they wee closed on Saturday and that I wold have to come back on Monday. I went back on Monday and the officer I spoke with barraged me with questions like “who told you to come here”, and who were you in touch with and the big reveal, he stated since I am staying in Itasca, I should register there with the Itasca Police Department.

I then went to the Itasca Police station on Monday evening and told them I was a traveling registered offender an I was there to register. The officer didn’t really know what to do and took me to an area to be fingerprinted and found a form to be filled out. The form said nothing about travelers and it seemed to be just a regular registration form, nothing about traveling from another state, so he checked “initial Registration”. In the stuff I had previously found online it said that traveling to Illinois for more than 5 days I would need to register. By this time I had 4 days left to be there. I filled out the form and I did get a copy. I returned to my Hotel and withing 60 minutes the same officer knocked on my door and when I opened the door, he stated that he was checking to see if I was at the address given on the form. That was my last contact with the County of DuPage or the Village of Itasca.

Summary

My Travel dates were Jan 17 2010 to Jan 24 2020.

Why is it that I feel that the Sheriffs office and the Police department as well only give you enough information to say that they answered my question. The documentation that they, VCSO, had attached to the form regarding regarding the regular check in visits is tremendously confusing, perhaps that is on purpose. This was my first experience traveling out of state in the 5 years that I was eligible to travel. Not only from the local office but in the web information of what is required at the traveling “TO” location.

I also asked about what about if I do a road trip in a car or on motorcycle, she stated that I would have to list each stopping place before I leave.

I would love to travel more, I am retired. It is untrue if anyone states that the registration is NOT punishment.

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