| Rock you like a Hurricane: Former Offenders Segregated in Hurricane Shelters! A Once Fallen Editorial by: Derek "The Fallen One" Logue September 1, 2008 (Update Jan. 3, 2009) We heard about these new rules, now we're seeing them in action. Grab your barf bags http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080831/NEWS01/808310326&s=d&page=2#pluckcomments Sex offender checks in at shelter, taken to another site By Mandy M. Goodnight • mgoodnight@thetowntalk.com • August 31, 2008 The Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office has had a sex offender report to a local shelter. The offender came in Saturday and reported to the shelter manager that he was a sex offender, Sheriff's Assistant Chief Deputy Herman Walters said. The offender did as he was supposed to and was taken to a shelter location in the Zachary area that had been set up for registered sex offenders. "We are working closely with the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office and other agencies in monitoring the expected influx of sex offenders," said Michael Wynne, a supervisor with Louisiana Probation and Parole and the Central Louisiana sex offender coordinator for the state. Sex offenders are not being housed in general evacuation shelters, Wynne said. [b]The adults-only shelter was created after passage of Act 285 of the Louisiana Legislature in 2006, which requires the segregation of registered sex offenders.[/b] The Department of Social Services has been tasked with running the shelter. When sex offenders arrive in a community, they have three days to register and 21 days to make public notification. At a shelter, offenders are supposed to report their status to security or the shelter director. Wynne said Probation and Parole officials are working with local law enforcement agencies and the community to ensure sex offenders are not staying in the general shelters and the community is aware of their presence. "This is a community-wide concern and one we are addressing," Wynne said. He said law enforcement is on alert, and the community's help is appreciated. His office already had received calls about potential sex offenders in the community not registering before the weekend. "We have zero tolerance," Wynne said. In 2005, a hurricane evacuee was accused of fondling a child while staying in the Rapides Parish Coliseum following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Notice the accused was not called an RSO. How thew hell could the same person be accused for it happening in TWO separate hurricanes? I think they're making it up. Also, notice the segregation. I'd love to know the conditions of the shelters in comparison to regular hurricane shelters. I read another story about it: http://www.ktbs.com/news/Authorities-checking-for-sex-offenders-among-evacuees--16159/ Authorities checking for sex offenders among evacuees Created: August 31, 2008 03:59 PM Modified: August 31, 2008 04:13 PM Background checks are being conducted on people arriving at state shelters in Shreveport to make sure there are no sex offenders among the evacuees. State law prohibits convicted sex offenders from staying in the shelter -- a reaction to problems that happened after Hurricane Katrina. Evacuees are filling out a short background form when they arrive and law officers are conducting background checks. Authorities said "a couple" of men who were convicted sex offenders arrived with their families. Authorities said the men notified them of their past convictions; their families were allowed in the shelters and the men were taken to a separate location where state probation officials are making arrangements for them to be housed elsewhere. The men are taken to SEPARATE SHELTERS from their own families http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080901/NEWS01/809010306/1060 No major incidents at local shelters By Bobbie J. Clark bobbieclark@gannett.com Sept. 1, 2008 Sgt. Jim Taliaferro, of the Shreveport Police Department, reported no major incidents as the number of evacuees fleeing Hurricane Gustav rose to about 6,500 people Sunday. "We've utilized office personnel to take care of security issues at all of our evacuation facilities," Taliferro said. "We've had no problems." There was an incident on a bus where someone fled from an officer after questioning. He was later taken into custody. The Caddo Parish sheriff's office arrested an Abbeville man Sunday on a warrant for sex offender registration violations. Zechary Emile Verett, 29, was taken in to custody at about 6 p.m. Sunday, after filling out an application to get into the Red Cross Shelter at LSU Shreveport. Three other convicted sex offenders notified the sheriff's office of their status when deputies addressed evacuees arriving at Hirsch on buses. Chadwick said they were taken to CCC where they are staying in the media room. "They are not in jail," said Chadwick. "We just want to segregate them from the shelter population." Even in an emergency, we must treat you as second class citizens. http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/drc_evacuees_0901.2fbc73e7.html A flight too familiar: As Gulf Coast streets empty ahead of Gustav, county readies shelters 12:34 AM CDT on Monday, September 1, 2008 By Candace Carlisle / Staff Writer It was hurry up and wait Sunday as volunteers prepared Camp Copass again for the arrival of evacuees from New Orleans and surrounding areas in the path of Hurricane Gustav. Volunteers chatted nervously as they waited; occasionally removing their cherry ball caps to wipe sweat from their brows and glancing out the window to watch for the bus carrying residents of Gulf Coast areas to the water’s edge on Lake Lewisville. About 150 evacuees from areas in the path of Hurricane Gustav were expected to arrive late Sunday at the Baptist camp on the Denton side of Lewisville Lake. Camp Copass housed evacuees from Hurricane Katrina three years ago. “It’s deja vu all over again,” said Gary Loudermilk, a volunteer at the camp and executive director of Denton Baptist Association... So far, things are going smoothly compared to Hurricane Katrina, officials say. “There are a third as many evacuees, and it’s better organized statewide,” Caley said. All the agencies involved learned from problems encountered three years ago, Caley said, adding that sheriff’s personnel will check the criminal histories of evacuees as they arrive. “There have been screenings along the way, but last time we found ourselves with half a dozen sex offenders and some other felons. We want to find those people and get them separated from the rest,” he said. Caley said he is borrowing officers from other areas of law enforcement who were previously scheduled to help enforce holiday traffic and patrol during the weekend. “Right now, I’m robbing Peter to pay Paul,” Caley said. "These people?" What you mean "these people?" Sadly, these laws have been passed years ago. The following paragraph is an excerpt from my upcoming book, Once Fallen (copyrighted by me): In 2005, Florida banned supervised sex offenders from taking refuge in hurricane shelters, sending them to prisons to wait out the storm. Offenders were forced to wear special badges and were subject to be searched at any time [1]. In Louisiana, the offenders are segregated from the public while in shelters, and are not allowed to live in FEMA trailers [2]. No known reports of sex offenses occurring in hurricane shelters have ever taken place, yet predator panic has set in even during times of dire need, like a natural disaster. With former offenders segregated from the populace and denied government assistance after a natural disaster, it leaves little wonder why so many Louisiana sex offenders chose to disappear after hurricane Katrina [3]. Resources:
I will update this editorial shortly, as I hope to get reports of the treatment of Former Offenders in these segregated hurricane shelters, because we all know how well segregated citizens were treated at any time in history. Florida -- Hurricanes and Former Offenders http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/national/index.ssf?/base/national-49/112344462013630. xml&storylist=hurricane : Article on Florida's law where sex offenders on supervision are banned from shelters, and report to prison if they cannot find suitable shelter http://www.sptimes.com/2005/06/16/news_pf/Hillsborough/Hillsborough_shelters.shtml -- Hillsboro Sheriff says RSOs are out of luck in a hurricane CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO LINK! http://www.winknews.com/news/local/27785739.html Sex offenders and storm shelters By Cristin Severance Story Created: Sep 2, 2008 at 6:40 PM EDT ESTERO, Fla. - Nearly 600 people are staying at the Red Cross shelter in Estero flooding forced them out of their homes. WINK News wanted to know, how are officials making sure people who shouldn't be there, stay out. Namely sexual predators and offenders. Red stop signs warn people to sign in before they step foot into the Estero storm shelter. "There are hundreds of children at the shelter. It's extremely important to make sure they are in a safe environment," says Colin Downey of the Red Cross. LCSO deputies stay there 24/7 and cross check a list of people in the shelter with the sex offender database. The Red Cross says parents should know their kids are protected. "The last thing we want them to worry about is whether they are safe or not," he says. Registered sex offenders and predators have to go to their own shelter during a storm or face fines or jail. In Lee County, it's the Southwest Florida Public Service Academy. "There was a need, where do you put these people? Somebody made a determination they'd be staying with me," says director Tim Day. Day says whoever chose his academy made an ironic choice. In his other job, as a Cape Coral Councilman he passed two ordinances dealing with sex offenders. "Fact of the matter is I guess I prefer they come here than go to a regular shelter. Where as now, we have another set of issues to worry about," he says. Day says the building isn't really fit for a shelter. He says the facility could withstand a storm but they don't have a generator or kitchen. No one stayed in the make-shift shelter for Tropical Storm Fay but with three more tropical storms brewing some might be staying here soon. "If you had to pick someone out of the hat, that cares more about it, I don't who you would find," he said Day. AGAIN with the "these people! Here we have proof the quality of storm shelters for Former Offenders is worse than for non-Former Offenders. No generator + no kitchen = no FOOD! So now we just let them starve? Or do they eat stale bologna in the dark? I hope someone in Florida or Louisiana sues these bastards State of Louisiana Official Law http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=399355 -- LA HB 873, from 2006 Legislative session: Louisiana's law requiring sex offenders to be placed in separate shelters apart from the general population http://www.dss.louisiana.gov/Documents/DSS/Hurricane_Documents/Gustav_fs_sheltering.pdf D. Sex Offender Shelter (SOS) – for registered sex offenders Pursuant to Act 285 of the 2006 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature, the state will house registered sex offenders on the grounds of the Joint Emergency Services Training Center in Zachary. This is a 1,800-acre site owned by Louisiana State Police off U.S. 61 in the northern portion of the East Baton Rouge Parish. The Louisiana State Police database will be downloaded onto DSS’ evacuee-tracking software and “ping” when such individuals enter the system. These individuals will be transported to the SOS. Each parish must have its own plan for parish-level shelters, where the registered sex-offender must self-identify. Shelter Summary by Type General Population Shelters (GPS) 67,000 Sex Offender Shelter (SOS) 280 Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I would think LA has MORE than 280 Former Offenders. Wonder where the rest go? State of Texas: "Operation Safe Shelter" http://www.oag.state.tx.us/hurricane/ -- The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has established the Safe Shelter Hotline as a free resource for emergency evacuation shelters to help them determine whether any evacuee they are housing is registered with the state as sex offenders. The Sex Offender Registration information given is public open information as extracted from the public Texas Department of Public Safety Sex Offender Registration database. The information provided is public and may be used by anyone for any purpose. The OAG is providing emergency evacuation shelters throughout the state a toll-free number to call as evacuees from the Texas coastline arrive at some of these shelters. The shelter may call 866/385-0333 and ask any of our law enforcement officers whether an evacuee is a registered sex offender. Operation Safe Shelter has four law enforcement officers staffing the hotline 24 hours a day, every day for as long as necessary. They are ready to take phone calls to look up one person, or a list of persons and research whether those names and dates of birth match up with the Sex Offender Registry. The information is used by ANYONE for ANY purpose? Including harassment? UPDATE! Jan. 3, 2009: GUSTAV DESTROYS RSO SHELTERS Gustav destroys shoddy hurricane shelters for registered sex offenders! http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/36771489.html http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=9584688 http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20081227/NEWS01/81227010 Quote from 2theadvocate: September’s Hurricane Gustav blew away Quonset hut-type buildings near Zachary that state officials planned to use as hurricane evacuation shelters for sex offenders. And now the state agency responsible for locating shelter sites is reassessing the situation, a spokesman said. So now Louisiana/ Gov. Bobby Jindal would place human beings in shoddy shelters they wouldn't store their pets in! I smell a rat! -- I'm just glad no one was in them at the time. |
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