Florida Sheriff: Sex Offenders, People with Warrants Who Seek Shelter from Irma Will Be Arrested

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Katherine Rodriguez

A Florida sheriff is warning that sex offenders and people with warrants out for their arrest who seek refuge from Hurricane Irma at a shelter will be arrested.

“If you go to a shelter for #Irma and you have a warrant, we’ll gladly escort you to the safe and secure shelter called the Polk County Jail,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd tweeted Wednesday.

Judd also tweeted that sex offenders would be banned from shelters in Polk County to ensure the safety of innocent children:

To ensure compliance with the rules, Judd wrote that authorities would check the IDs of everyone who wishes to enter a shelter to seek refuge from Irma:

Polk County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Carrie Horstman told the Orlando Sentinel that deputies would not be able to discern what the warrants are for, so people could be arrested even if they committed minor, misdemeanor offenses.

“Officers are legally obligated to take a person into custody if they have a warrant,” Horstman said, adding that the sheriff’s office implemented a similar policy in 2004.

Horstman said that the sheriff’s office is “just trying to keep people informed ahead of time” and hopes that those with warrants will use the time over the next few days to take care of their legal issues.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida blasted Judd’s move, saying that his office should spend more time preparing for the storm instead of hunting criminals.

Authorities “should focus on preparing for Irma, not burnishing your Joe-Arpaio-style ‘tough cop’ credentials with irresponsible tweets,” the organization said in a statement.

ACLU Florida added that the tweets “send the message that these individuals must choose between facing a natural disaster without aid and shelter or going to jail over things like unpaid traffic tickets.”

Horstman told the New York Times that, even though officials would be checking IDs, they are not focused on checking the immigration status of those who seek shelter.

There are 47 shelters in Polk County, which is located in Central Florida and boasts a population of more than 600,000 people, the Times reports.

Polk County announced Thursday afternoon that shelters would start accepting evacuees September 9.

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