It's the entire government! Senator's who violate our Constitution, DA's who maliciously prosecute to get a conviction, judges who do not uphold the constitution, to the police who violate our rights. And I felt this way before I was ever involved in the "system". It's called a system for a reason!

treborjo - you are correct. I was also feeling this way before this sex offender nightmare but really had no idea how bad it was. I can remember when I first heard about the public registry I spoke out that it was unbelievable they would do that to people and I had young children at the time.

" ... But when a long train of abuses and usurpations [by a government] , pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them [peoples rights] under absolute Despotism, it is their [the people] right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.-- ... "

The United States Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776.)

I have always like the line that says It is their Duty! So it is not only a right of the people to fight against Terranny but a DUTY

Really? My post is gone ?

"The majority of them are doing their jobs to the best of their abilities."

There was a time when I would have agreed with you completely. Even though I am admittedly biased your statement may still be true but as time goes by and I learn more and more it becomes much more difficult to accept.

Over the past few years I've researched over 1300 cases and I can honestly say I have yet to find a single case where the investigating officers actually followed all of the rules as they were supposed to. Along the way I've learned of illegal search and seizures, officers not just "coloring" the facts or not being entirely forth coming but flat out lying as needed, prosecutors withholding exculpatory evidence, law enforcement agencies maintaining open investigations on thousands of individuals that are known NOT to have committed any crimes and then illegally destroying evidence of those open investigations and a whole host of other improprieties such as federal agencies actively operating child pornography trading sites.

I wish I could say it was just a few bad apples or local to a handful of agencies and believe it but I can't. The types of misconduct I'm seeing appears to be systemic and institutionalized across the country and it's only for one tiny part of the criminal justice system. I shudder to think of what's going on in the rest of system.

To be honest and fair, in my own experience, my hubby's PO was fair, but a bit strict at first, though he did loosen up. Eventually he advocated for my hubby to get off probation early. My husband's PD fought or him the best he could and pretty much all the state police my hubby has had to deal with for registration, have at least been polite. A few of them have pretty much stated they think it's BS that people with a misdemeanor are being forced to register every 90 days, like as if by some stroke of a politician's pen they are suddenly more dangerous than they were when they just had to do it once per year for 10 years.

@WestDenali: I understand where you are coming from in your post. I have worked with military and LE most of my life. I cooperated only after I had an attorney. After all, if I had cooperated w/out an attorney, the consequences would have been far worse. I do respect most LE. I do not respect LE that do their best to dehumanize me. I did what I did, I put myself in my situation, I deserved a far worse penalty than I received. however I have busted my a** to change my life 180 degrees since day one of my ordeal.

Half of my PO's do not deserve the time of day. There were a few that were genuinely understanding. There were a lot of LE and CO's that did work with me to help me out. I played by the rules, was a model inmate.

Once I got out, most of my PO's tried their hardest to get me to fail. I do feel that is their job at times. However that does not engender trust. Some of the restrictions imposed upon me were understandable. A few were completely arbitrary and at least one was levied with malice.

I do respect those in LE and the system that genuinely do their jobs properly, after all, I was part of the system for a good part of my professional career.

I came to this forum for support. I wanted to get with others who are in my shoes. I wanted to help those who need help. I appreciate all of you that have taken the time to respond. I will not judge you. The majority of those who responded have experienced something that i have not. I almost feel that you are one side and i am on the other.

I can tell you that this forum is not helping me. I can tell you that even though i love and care for a sex offender this is not helping me. When i cry my eyes out because of what is said in this forum its time for me to go.

I can tell you that even though some of you had bad experiences with the system we are not all bad. In my 23 years of LE there is not one who will throw me under the bus. I will see them on the street and they will come to me and give me a hug or handshake.

Everyday i put on my badge and bullet proof vest to protect you! I will do what i need to do to protect your family and your property. I will help you! I cant speak for those bad apples in my profession. If if were up to me i would hang them twice in the public square!

I totally agree with getting representation. My first question to my son in law was "are you ok?" My next was to say not to talk to police until you had an attorney. I can not emphasize enough to get an attorney.

This reminds me of my service with the National Guard. I spent 22 years serving my country. So not only did i spend protecting my country i spend my life protecting my community.

I can tell you i am done. I can tell you i am ready to get out of here. I can tell tell you i love my son in law. I can tell you it is his fault for committing a crime. I will love him forever.

I crossed the border 6 months ago. I put the shoes on and walked another persons life.i have chose to love a person who committed a crime.

Maybe it is time for you to walk in my shoes. Maybe it is time for you to see the other side.

I'm sure for many here, once that trust is broken by one, it's hard to trust any. I know that's not fair, but it is what is.
For myself, there's some I'll trust and some I never would, and if I'm going, in blind....I'll use caution and assume they may not have my best interests at heart until they prove otherwise.

I agree your son-in-law committed a crime. And you were right that he shouldn't speak to LE.

I know that all LE aren't bad, but each of us are careful with one, until we know that they prove to us that they have our best interest at heart.

I'm sorry to see you go. I think you could add value to our group, helping is see the other side of things. If you change your mind, please know that we are here to help, and listen.

But I have walked in your shoes - and to be honest I am so glad that I left that part of my life - you wear the vest to protect yourself against "us" not to protect us. Do you have a reason to protect yourself - I am sure the answer is yes. But that in itself is half the problem - you feel you need to so everyone you encounter while in uniform is a potential enemy.

I cannot tell you the joy it gives me that you have stuck by your SIL - once you start to experience the life these crimes bring maybe you will understand more fully our anger at the system. There are no second chances for SOs - no way to ever pay your price to society. In some states it is better than others but none of them are great. Everyone has a story here - my sons adult life was halted and changed for the rest of his life because he was looking at porn of his peers. Others were falsely accused and convicted - but regardless the crime and regardless of innocence or guilt the end result is the same. Not to mention that the hype about sex offenses takes away these peoples opportunity to ever get a fair trial so almost everyone takes a plea - some that are innocent of the crime.

I am sorry you do not feel you gained anything from this forum. If you could stay and not take things personally you might learn a lot that could help you, your SIL, and your family. Maybe it is all too new and you may want to return later. If you stick by him for the long haul I can guarantee you will experience some of the frustration most of us have with this system. I will say that using the comparison that none of your colleagues would throw you under the bus is not really a good comparison to what any of us have experienced - you are one of them and so they see you differently but I guarantee they do not harbor the same feelings about your SIL no matter what they may say to your face

Also in your original post you talked about how we say the police are not your friend and do not help you etc. Can you deny that a tactic of LE is to make the person feel that they are there to "help them" and will even say that? And the truth is they are not there to "help" them - they are there to get an arrest and evidence to lead to a conviction. It is that barren truth that caused me to get out of that life. I was not allowed to Protect and Serve - I realized my job was to protect other officers and catch as many people up in the system as I could.

The argument that those people broke the law does not do it for me because in our country today it is almost impossible NOT to break the law. I also know from experience that many law enforcement officers break the law every day.

Sorry random thoughts here - actually what did you expect from a group of people that are trying to survive within a set of laws that tells them where they can go and live etc. Splashes their personal information on the internet for all to see (making them a target for vigilantes) and all of this AFTER they have served a sentence imposed by the court system. I just do not understand what you expected? what kind of support can we give each other that is not information about the life or the things we have experienced and still experience?

wow! there's much here that i totally agree with and some that i don't

westdenali, i can totally understand where your coming from. if any LEO are of good heart, who honestly do their job to the best of their ability and with the thoughts and feelings of protect and serve, it has got to be truly hard to read some of the comments and see the dislike, distrust and hatred some have for LE.

being 60 i can so well remember being taught and firmly believing that the police were trustworthy, were there to help me and were friends. i can remember "officer friendly" coming to school, giving talks and presentations. up until in my 40's i was never uncomfortable around any officers of law enforcement. i've had family members who were cops, sheriffs and state troopers. that being said even back then i knew of and came across some rotten apples in the bunch a few times. i even went out with a state trooper for a short time. the longer i knew him the more fearful i became.

i think that there are still some good cops out there. but i'm sorry to say, that i also think that they are getting fewer and fewer.

I think there are probably good cops that want to help people - but whether because of the system or the multitude of laws in our country now they could not be officer friendly even if they tried. They are not able to anymore

Yeah I have to agree with advocate. What do you expect? Some people are innocent here and some people got a much tougher sentence than was needed but we are all suffering under the registry. The police enforce those wretched policies, yes we can all understand they didn't enact the laws, but those are the faces we see. If we forgot to register on our birthday The police comes knocking to take you to jail. Compliance checks, police come a knocking. A lot of times you cannot help it, they pay you to enforce the will of the people, but it doesn't mean we as the people who are getting crushed have to say thank you to the police, thank you for enforcing these terrible, unconstitutional policies that don't make society any safer.

If it makes you feel better much more of my ire is directed at the legislatures and the courts who enact these terrible laws and do not overturn them. I know that the police are just pawns in this game of sex offender chess.