Florida sheriff warns criminals against coming to Irma shelters

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (WPVI) -- There's one sheriff in Florida with a strong warning for fugitives during Hurricane Irma - don't dare show up at a shelter.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office in Winter Haven tweeted: "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."

In a string of tweets they say officers will be checking IDs at shelters, and if you have an outstanding warrant, you'll be rerouted to jail.

That was the final word after they initially said they would be turning away sex offenders and predators and folks on social media went wild, getting defensive.

They add...jail would be a safer bet than "to expose yourself to a Category 5 storm."

The sheriff says he never thought he'd get beat up for trying to keep people safe.

----------

Send a breaking news alert
Report a correction or typo
Learn more about the 6abc apps