08/14/2012
By Lauren Trager
Conway County Sheriff (Faceboook) Mike Smith hasn't always been an internet savvy guy. But to keep people safe, he's says, he'll give anything a try.
"It being the information age, we are going to use everything that we can," Sheriff Smith said.
That's why, he says, he started posting sex offender's information to the sheriff office's Facebook page.
- So what all the other criminals who are more of a threat to children and adults?
Each complete with a picture, name, exact address and criminal offense.
"I want to know about it and I want to make sure the folks know about it," Sheriff Smith said.
But some say, it's simply too much.
"What they are doing is carrying it way too far," said Lora, a family member of a sex offender who wanted to stay anonymous.
She doesn't like the comments people have posted on site.
"When you put it out on Facebook where others can comment on it, that's just hurtful," she said.
- And we personally think that is their objective, to name and shame, but just wait until Mr. Smith's own child or family member is put on the list! I am willing to bet he'd not post that photo on Facebook.
And she says she's worried sex offender's family members will be targeted with their address available for all the see.
"But what about the people who live in these houses, do they get no rights either?" she said.
The state's registry site, she notes, doesn't display specific addresses. Level 1 offenders are excluded from the state's site all together. But that's not so on the sheriff's Facebook page.
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| Sheriff Mike Smith |
Lora says it's a violation of rights she plans to fight.
But the sheriff says, like sex offenders themselves, the site isn't going away anytime soon.
"If there was an island we can stick them all off on, that would be great, but it's not that way," said Sheriff Smith.
At least four other sheriff's offices do something similar.
The state says it's not illegal for sheriffs to post sex offenders to Facebook, though they wouldn't recommend putting the least violent offenders on there.
Why do these Sheriffs think they are above the law? I have personal spoken with Mr. Bill Mabrey at the Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC) and he told me that he has told the Sheriffs of every county it is AGAINST the law to post the exact address of any offender online. His exact word were "I guess it going to take someone suing the Sheriff's office to get it to stop". It is time to start doing something to get this BS to stop. Were is the ACLU? Why is the Sheriff not changed for breaking the law that he SUPPOSE to be upholding......
ReplyDeleteIf the local law does not allow level one offenders to be posted to the official sex offender web site, then how is it legal to post it to a different web site. This is especially problematic when the Sheriff does it. It looks like he’s got too much time on his hands, and is making up stuff to do. This man is useless and should be let go. It is very difficult to understand someone else when you haven’t walked in their shoes. And clearly, Sheriff Smith has never made any effort to understand sexual criminality.
ReplyDeleteCorrection.... That was Brad Cozart i spoke with not Bill Mabrey
ReplyDeleteThese actions are indeed illegal. Smith needs to check his state laws before reaching out with stupidity. Someone's going to find the technicality, and sue the state. I hope they do. People like this are seriously ill, and their "love" of public safety is only a sham.
ReplyDeleteI can only be for this if he let's those offenders explain their situation on the page. Were they in a bar and thought she was 21? Were the accusations simply lies? If there is no way for the offender to explain, then it is wrong to have this page up.
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