US Not Alone in the Struggle to Monitor Sex Offenders

December 21, 2005

Despite the adoption of a new system meant to monitor the whereabouts of sex offenders, Japan is finding it difficult to keep track of every offender once released from prison. The National Police Agency (NPA) cannot locate nine of the 83 recently released child sex offenders. The ffenders went missing immediately upon release from prison.

Japan’s new system was initiated following the kidnap and murder of a 7-year-old girl by a man with a history of sexual predation on young girls. The system does not require offenders to report new addresses when they move, for fear that excessive surveillance might prevent the reintegration of offenders into society. NPA officials admit that the system has flaws that will make it hard to keep track of anyone who wants to disappear, and recent events may spur Japan to look for new methods of prevention.

Meanwhile, several states in the US are searching for ways to improve surveillance of convicted sexual predators. Some, like Kentucky, are actually sweeping the state, looking for non-compliant offenders. Others, like Oklahoma, have proposals of GPS monitoring to prevent losing the whereabouts of offenders in the first place.

For more information see the Daily Yomiuri Online, the Japan Times Online, and the Courier-Journal.com.

Mayor Frustrated in his Attempts to Increase Public’s Awareness of Sex Offenders

December 7, 2005

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles recently proposed televising the addresses of registered sex offenders to increase public awareness. However, a bill signed into law just a few months ago by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger prohibits the city from broadcasting such information on any offender who is not under current investigation.

Villaraigosa’s proposal consisted of plans to air the addresses and pictures of sex offenders released into the neighborhoods of LA over the city government channel. Although the plan was well underway when halted by Schwarzenegger’s bill, Villaraigosa and the LAPD have changed tactics, and are now working on public service announcements promoting web sites that contain information released under Megan’s Law. Villaraigosa spokesman Joe Ramallo voiced the mayor’s concern that the information is still not being distributed widely enough for adequate public awareness.

Councilman Dennis Zine, a member of the committee that oversees the LAPD, stated his resolve to continue pursuing the televising of detailed Megan’s Law information. He insists that such programming is necessary to protect children, and will keep looking for a way to "make it happen."

For more information see MercedSearch.com

Dyersville May Ban Sex Offenders Completely

December 6, 2005

Dyersville, Iowa might bring the sex offender dilemma to new heights, as officials deliberate an ordinance that would ban sex offenders from living anywhere within city limits.

Current Iowa state law, implemented in 2002, restricts sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools or day cares. Several cities across the state have extended this ban to enough public places to essentially restrict sex offenders from living in the city at all, but Dyersville is the first to propose a straightforward ban on offenders.

Opponents of the ordinance site the difficulty of enforcing such a law, and declare that the rise in local ordinances has practically made the entire state of Iowa off-limits to sex offenders. Others are concerned with the false sense of security that having no registered sex offenders living within city limits might create.

Iowa officials assert that if instated, the ban will send a clear message of non-tolerance to potential sex offenders and likely re-offenders.

For more information see the WCF Courier

Officials Call for Public Vigilance

December 1, 2005

Nearly 60 sex offenders from the Mississippi Gulf Coast are still unaccounted for since being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Although this number is greatly reduced from the recent count of 180, it is still high enough to make both citizens and officials wary.

Sex offenders in Mississippi are required to re-register every 90 days in person, and must notify the state of any change of address within 10 days. Many states require even visiting sex offenders to register if they are staying for longer than 10 days.

As the 60 non-compliant offenders could be residing in any state, and due to the high recidivism rate among sexual predators, officials call for public vigilance. Mississippi’s State Registry has a list of names and pictures of all the non-compliant offenders. Familiarize yourself with this list, and if you recognize any of the offenders, notify your local police department immediately.

For more information see HattiesburgAmerican.com