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Should Sex Offenders Be Firefighters? What about Pardoned ones?
This topic was first posted on FireCritic.com here: http://firecritic.com/2010/11/should-sex-offenders-be-firefighters-...
Can Sex Offenders be firefighters? Should sex offenders be firefighters? What about pardoned ones?
I am currently working on a story and one of the intriguing details is that a current firefighter WAS a convicted sex offender. The person was pardoned and is not a
registered sex offender. The offense was bad (they all are). The offense
happened 30 years ago prior to the current laws that protect us from
these criminals. Should he be allowed to be a firefighter?
Here are my thoughts. Sex offenders should not be firefighters. I do not know of a National standard or regulation on this issue. However, if
this man was pardoned and the infraction occurred prior to current
regulations should he/she still be punished for a crime they was
pardoned for? After all, they were pardoned and basically the crime is
no longer part of their wrap sheet (hopefully there is nothing else).
This is basically a loophole due to previously lackadaisical laws.
I just wonder if fire departments can legally disqualify someone from being a firefighter for something that might not show up on their
background check. I am not sure it would in this case, but what if
someone brought it to the FD’s attention.
The questions are:
- Should sex offenders be allowed to be firefighters? What about EMT’s?
- Should previously pardoned sex offenders be allowed to be firefighters?
- What about EMT’s?
- Does your department look for this information in their background checks?
Here are some articles I found on the topic of sex offender/firefighters:
- Volunteer Firefighter a Registered Sex Offender
- Fired firefighter admits to soliciting sex from teen boys via Faceb...
NSOPR – National Sex Offender Public Registry
FBI Sex Offender Registry
You might remember a while back that I posted a question on Firefighter Nation about Felons being firefighters. That discussion continues to spark interest from time to time and the
conversation is rehashed. My answer remains to be NO. Several people
said that it depended on the crime. My reply….Name a GOOD Felony! I
didn’t think so. Felonies are felonies for a reason. They are crimes.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Patti Walz on
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Oh yeah I am pure..... Whatever..... I know that if I break the law I am responsible for my actions.... Which includes possible termination....... I really want my kid to look up to someone who drinks and drives.... great influence for kids there..... because you are in a public position if you break the law and you are convicted then yes you should loose your job.
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Permalink Reply by Derek R. on
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Were you referring to the 18 and 17 yr old having consentual sex? Without putting words in Jacks mouth, it seems that what he was saying was that even though there may be consent between an eighteen year old and a seventeen year old, if that 17yr old decided to be bitch/prick because dinner wasn't included, then the 18 yr old could possibly wind up having a sex offender title to carry around for a while.
Yes they SHOULD know right from wrong, but like a lot of folks out there, they just don't think things through to the extent that would make them stop and say "hey......what if......".
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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on
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Forgetting the specific sex offender part of this discussion, at what stage does someone with a conviction, stop being considered a criminal?
If this person was pardoned for murder (or any other crime) 30 years ago, should we still judge them as a convicted person? Just curious, given there's been some very robust discussions here on FFN before about this stuff...
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Maybe they should stop and think? Hey if I sleep with this girl/guy will it land me in jail? It is common sense and that is what this world lacks now. The bad this is we only know what we read in the papers unless it is happening to us right then and there, so while one side can say it was consenual, the other side could be a dick and say not it wasn't. This is the risk you run by sleeping with a minor. Is the risk worth it?
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Permalink Reply by Mark Oomkes on
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The issue I'm having is pardoned does not mean overturned, either by an appeals court, new evidence or just a flat out acquittal.
They are guilty of that crime, they should pay fully for it. At which point they are still a felon, but have paid their due.
When do the stop being a criminal? Upon conviction, at which point they become a felon. They lose other rights as well. Lots of jobs\careers that they will never be hired for. Same should go for fire and EMS. We are in a position of trust, but also one where someone could easily be violated.
Why place that temptation in front of them?
Not like they can be cops or armored truck drivers or doctors or nurses or teachers or any other number of things. Why should it be different for fire\EMS?
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I am toasting your right now....
Cheers and well said
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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on
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If they are or were a sex offender, then NO they should NOT be a Firefighter or an EMT/Medic. If they were pardoned or exonerated due to new evidence that proves their innocence, then I could see no problem since they did NOT commit the crime.
As for someone who committed a sex crime before the sex offender laws came out, the fact remains that they are a sex offender and should NOT be able to be hired.
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Permalink Reply by Anthony on
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Ok heres my opinion on this..
First of all.. if an 18 yr old and a 17 yr old have sex (consentual sex) the 18 yr old is breaking the law in some states. that person can and alot of the time is convicted of a sex crime and now a sex offender. under the line of thinking of "no sex offender should be a firefighter" this person would be blackballed rite? How is this the rite thing to do? i know of several cases ware this exact thing happend. kids in high school can therroreticly be charged with sex crimes for being with there gf/bf in todays society..and the all inclusive consept we use all the time is flawed. Ok yes.. if a guy goes and Rapes someone then they should be blackballed.. if a person goes and has sex with a person and he/she is like 25 and the other is like 15 then yes i agree the person should be blackballed. but that being said there is also other factors involved in that.. ok now what if the guy is in a bar.. therroreticly there shouldnt be any minors in that bar correct? so a 17 yr old hits on him and he doesnt realize shes 17 he is comiting stat rape correct?? i do not agree with the current setup of our justice system because there is no checks and balences to adress this.. In my personal opinion a guy who picks up someone in the bar shouldn't have to "card" them to conferm there of age before taking them home.. how does that work?? "oh hang on sweety before we start flirting i need to see some id." pffftt yea thatll happen. Rite? Ok now as far as the "pardoned" thing how/why did he get pardoned if our government is pardoning sex offenders that are a danger to society then something needs to be done to adress this and the official who pardoned them needs to be removed from office.. and as far as the "name a good fellony" thing.. a bounced check can be considerd a fellony and how many of us have done that.. i know i have. should a person with "a fellony" for bad checks be blackballed?(im just useing that as example that there are crimes that are a fellony that mabe shouldnt be..
I guess my point in all this rambling is we cant just judge a person on what the "official record" says and we cant judge someone on rumers or "I herd" type stuff. And also our justice system needs an overhaul badly. it needs to become more annilitical and not so robot like because crimes arent black and white they are every shade inbetween.. just one more before i shut up.. a guy robs a store trying to feed his family because they dont have any money, a person has a heart attack during the robbery, that robber can be charged with a felony. correct? All he wanted to do is feed his starving family... Just think about this for a bit.. most of you will see what im talking about. {please forgive my spelling errors. thanks}
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Permalink Reply by Vic Silverfish on
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"Sex Offender" has become a meaningless label. Should some bozo who streaked a football game 20 years ago be prevented from taking a position of trust? I don't see why not. The system of registering and tracking sex offenders is a good idea, but has been implemented in such a way to render it practically useless.
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Streaking is a sex crime? I did it once in the 70's, when I was in Junoir High School. Do you think the statute of limitations had run out yet, or should I turn myself in to the Authorities?
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So if I go by some of the responses here, then there's plenty who think that someone can't turn their life around or change for the better???
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Luke, do you have children? Would you let a sex offender (current or former) babysit your children? Even after he's served his time in jail? It would be like hiring an alcoholic as a bar tender. I believe that these people should be given a chance at having a good job after they've served their time, but nothing that puts them in a position to commit another sex offense. I wouldn't hire a thief to be a night watchman at a bank!
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