Jul 7, 2008 7:58 am US/Central
Hunting For Non-Compliant Registered Sex Offenders
(WCCO)
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Since the Predator Offenders' Registration Section started focusing on non-compliant cases, the numbers in Minneapolis dropped from 232 non-compliant predators to about 180. (File)
CBS
It has been almost three months since Minneapolis Police created a new section in their sex crimes unit to hunt down registered offenders who haven't kept police up-to-date on where they live.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension maintains a database of predators who have to register after they have done their time. When they fail to register, offenders' names and photos are posted on the state's Web site and the BCA notifies local police that they are non-compliant.
"We do get cases of convicted sex offenders, registered sex offenders that re-offend. We need to know where they are living," said Lt. Nancy Dunlap, who supervises the MPD's sex crimes unit.
Since the Predator Offenders' Registration Section started focusing on non-compliant cases, the numbers in Minneapolis dropped from 232 non-compliant predators to about 180.
"We don't want this to be a place where people feel they can come and live anonymously," said Dunlap.
When WCCO-TV went along with two members of the MPD team, they checked several different locations for a man named John Gaines. Gaines has been non-compliant for a couple of years. He was ordered to register after being released from prison where he served 11 years for a robbery and sexual assault incident at a city grocery store in 1986.
Officers Bruce Johnson and Troy Walker came up empty after stops at three possible addresses for Gaines. They documented each visit and picked up more possible locations for him. The documentation will be included in their case they plan to present to prosecutors in attempt to have with felony charges for non-compliance.
The veteran officers say they are confident they will eventually catch up with Gaines if he doesn't get picked up first on a traffic stop and an officer learns he wanted for non-compliance.
Dunlap said the aggressive focus sends a message: "Word gets out to the offenders out there that are either in compliance or non-compliance that we're on top of it."
To view a list with names and photos of all non-compliant predator offenders, and learn more about the program, go to the Minnesota BCA Web site.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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