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The public and the legislature are just now realizing what sex crime victims and law enforcement officials have recognized for years: That sex offenders pose a threat to society and that the public deserves to know when they are in their community. In California, however, the question is not when but where. California has more than 70,000 registered sex offenders, more than one in every 250 men! Recent changes in the law will arm the public with information on these previously convicted sex offenders.
California's "900" Sex Offender Number
On several occasions, California Attorney General Dan Lungren has sponsored legislation to expand the ability to notify the public of individuals who are required to register their whereabouts with local law enforcement due to previous sexual assault convictions. In 1994, the Attorney General sponsored Assembly Bill 2500, authored by Assemblywoman Barbara Alby, to establish with the California Department of Justice (DOJ) a "900" telephone number to give the public a means of checking whether an individual is a registered child molester. Thanks to the direct support and involvement of the Klaas Foundation for Children, the legislation became law and has been a tremendous success.
Since this line became operational in July 1995, over 6,900 checks have revealed more than 680 child molesters who collectively have worked their way into positions of direct contact with more than 54,000 children. This important piece of legislation also mandated that DOJ identify "high risk" child molesters and provide a subdirectory identifying these individuals to local law enforcement for public viewing purposes.
High-Tech Data Disk IDs High Risk Criminals
In January 1996, in an effort to further expand law enforcement's ability to better protect the public from registered sex offenders, the California Attorney General sponsored AB 1562, also authored by Assemblywoman Barbara Alby. This bill, which became law in September 1996, is the most comprehensive sex offender notification law in the nation.
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It requires the DOJ to provide to local law enforcement a computer file on CD-ROM which will list the most serious of the 57,000 registered sex offenders in California, as defined by law. The CD-ROM will segregate the information by county, zip code, and name, and will also contain information including photographs, name, descriptions, convictions, etc. Communities can expect that each zip code will have between 50 to 150 such individuals.
The CD will further identify "high risk" offenders who committed multiple crimes. Each county sheriff's department and municipal police department in cities with populations of more than 200,000 must make the information available to the public. Additionally, this law authorizes local law enforcement to proactively notify communities of these individuals.
CD-ROM Available by Mid-Year
California and law enforcement now have a new tool to better protect society. This new law will build upon the demonstrated success of the "900" Sex Offender Identification Line, which is also expanded by this new law to go beyond offenders who have molested children, to include offenders who have sexually assaulted adults. The CD-ROM should be available to local law enforcement agencies by July 1997.
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California's Sex Offender Identification Line can be accessed by calling 1-900-463-0400, Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. |
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