MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: 

CITIZENS SUPPORTING 

LAW ENFORCEMENT

A RESOURCE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT
Acknowledgements

This project is supported by grant number 2005-DK-BX-K002 awarded by the U.S.

Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. Points of view or opinions

contained in this document are those of the International Association of Chiefs of

Police, and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the

Department of Justice.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the leadership, staff, and volunteers

of the following agencies for sharing their time and expertise:

■ Baltimore County Police Department (Maryland)

■ Bellevue Police Department (Washington)

■ Buffalo Police Department (New York)

■ Denver Police Department (Colorado)

■ El Paso Police Department (Texas)

■ Fairfax County Police Department (Virginia)

■ Framingham Police Department (Massachusetts)

■ Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (Missouri)

■ Independence Police Department (Kentucky)

■ Itasca Police Department (Illinois)

■ Palm Bay Police Department (Florida)

■ Saint Lucie County Sheriff’s Office (Florida)

■ Spokane County Sheriff’s Office (Washington)

We would like to extend a special thank you to the following individuals for their

review and contributions to this document: Chief Alberto Melis, Waco, Texas and

Detective Robert Schilling, Seattle, Washington.
Introduction

State and local law enforcement agencies are on the front line of a

significant and growing public safety challenge: returning sex offenders.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) estimates that more than 566,000 offenders are listed in state sex offender

registries nationwide (March 2006). Further, the most recent statistics

from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), U.S. Department of Justice

(DOJ), estimate that approximately 234,000 sex offenders are under

some form of correctional or community supervision. Equally challenging

to law enforcement are the sex offenders no longer under these types

of formal supervision. The exact number of this population is not known.

Of special significance are those sex offenders who have absconded or

failed to register with local law enforcement agencies.

Considerable media coverage of high profile cases involving violent sex

offenders and predators has increased public demand to know what law

enforcement is doing to prevent future victimization and what citizens

can do to protect themselves. These concerns have precipitated a wave

of new legislative activity across the country. According to the National

Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), “new means to supervise and

protect the public from sex offenders were top anti-crime priorities of

state legislatures in 2005.” State legislatures passed more than 100 sex

offender laws in 2005.1 A report on state policy developments lists sex

offenders as one of its 12 “Issues to Watch” in 2006.2

The impact of such legislation on law enforcement is substantial.

Laws require state and local law enforcement agencies to maintain

sex offender registries and implement community notification practices.

New measures require: lifetime registration for certain offenders,

electronic monitoring, and a broader scope of offenses subject to

registration. Law enforcement executives must juggle existing

resources to ensure that they are equipped to comply with national

and state laws requiring their agencies to register, monitor, and track

the returning sex offender population in their communities. In addition,

law enforcement agencies struggle to strike a balance between

increasing public awareness of the presence of high risk offenders

while decreasing an atmosphere of fear and anxiety.
To cope with the expanding requirements, law enforcement is

tapping into previously untapped resources. Citizens are a major

resource. The Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) Program, an

initiative of the International Association of Chiefs of Police

(IACP) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), DOJ, offers

wide-ranging information and resources for and about law

enforcement volunteer programs. From this program, we know

that many law enforcement agencies across the country use

citizens to support and expand agency functions, including sex

offender management activities. In partnership with BJA, the

IACP’s Citizen Involvement in Sex Offender Management Project

(CISOM) has comprehensively examined the specific roles of

citizens to assist law enforcement to manage sex offenders.

Citizens assist with registration, community notification, address

verification, and other monitoring and tracking efforts.

The goal of CISOM is to reduce disorder and

victimization through increased citizen involvement with law enforcement to register, track,

and monitor returning sex offenders. Project

objectives are to:

■ Determine the state of citizen involvement in

sex offender management.

■ Identify leading citizen-involved sex offender

management practices.

■ Develop a resource guide to promote the

use of leading practices by law enforcement agencies.

■ Disseminate products widely to the law

enforcement community.

The IACP has identified, visited, and collected

information from thirteen local law enforcement

agencies. This state-of-practice information has

been used to develop this guide.

The purposes of the guide are to:

■ Section I: Highlight relevant federal, state and

local sex offender legislation that impacts law

enforcement.

■ Section II: Identify emerging operational

challenges and potential policy implications

that face law enforcement leadership.

■ Section III: Provide examples of how law

enforcement agencies use citizens to support

and enhance sex offender management.

■ Section IV: Address the pressing need to

better equip law enforcement to register,

track, and monitor sex offenders.

■ Section V: Provide resource materials from

profiled agencies and a sampling of national

initiatives designed to increase law enforcement’s ability to prevent, reduce, investigate,

and prosecute crimes committed by sex

offenders.
3SECTION I: KEY POLICY MANDATES IMPACTING LAW ENFORCEMENT: LEGISLATION TARGETING SEX OFFENDERS

SECTION I 

KEY POLICY MANDATES IMPACTING LAW

ENFORCEMENT: LEGISLATION TARGETING 

SEX OFFENDERS

Many laws have been passed during the last two

decades to strengthen law enforcement’s ability to

monitor and track sex offenders in the community, and more recently, on the Internet. National legislation

has created registration systems and community notification

requirements. State legislation has centered on increasing

penalties and expanding the scope of state sex offender

registries (SORs). Local governments are passing laws to

further restrict registered sex offenders.

A chronological review of key national laws and the general

requirements imposed on law enforcement follows.

National Legislation

■ 1990: Student Right to Know and Campus Security

Act of 1990 (Clery Act)

The Clery Act requires college and university law

enforcement agencies to report sexual assaults and other

crimes on and around campus using the FBI’s Uniform

Crime Report classification system. Annual reports are

required from any college or university that participates

in federal financial aid programs. In 2000, the law was

amended to require schools to notify the campus community about where on campus they can access public

information about registered sex offenders.

■ 1994: Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children 

and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act

(Wetterling Act)

When 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling was abducted in

Minnesota in 1989, law enforcement did not have any

comprehensive listing of sex offenders from which to

begin an investigation. Passed as part of the 1994 Federal

Omnibus Crime Bill, the Wetterling Act requires all

states to create and maintain a sex offender registry. Since

its passage, the Act has been amended several times.

Wetterling Act Amendments

■ 1996: Megan’s Law In 1994, 7-year-old Megan Kanka

was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by a convicted sex

offender living across the street. Megan’s family was

unaware that their neighbor was a convicted sex offender.

Megan’s Law amended the Wetterling Act to require

public notification of a sex offender’s release into the

community. This amendment also mandated all states to

develop notification procedures to allow public access

to certain information about the location of violent sex

offenders in their communities.

■ 1996: The Pam Lyncher Sexual Offending Tracking

and Identification Act (Lyncher Act) authorized the

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to establish a

national database of certain convicted sex offenders who

reside in states that do not have a “minimally sufficient”

sex offender registry program. For those states that fall

into this category, the FBI is required to register the sex

offender’s fingerprints and current contact information.

■ 1997: Jacob Wetterling Improvements Act The Wetterling

Act was amended again in 1997 to add specific language to

expand registration to those with military convictions and

required sex offenders to register in the state in which they

work or attend school.

■ 2000: Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act mandates

that any person who is required to register in a state must

also notify the institution of higher education in that state

in which the person is employed, carries on a vocation,

or is a student.

■ 2006: The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety

Act of 2006

Signed into law in July 2006, the new Act allows law

enforcement access to a central repository of information

to better track sex offenders’ movements. Requirements

of the new law include:

■ Creating a national sex offender registry with standardized

information accessible to law enforcement;

■ Making failure to register a felony crime;

■ Requiring in person and more frequent registration, as

opposed to via mail (a current practice in many states);

■ Ordering sex offenders to register in the jurisdiction

where they reside, work, and go to school;

■ Broadening registration requirements to include juveniles

convicted of certain sex crimes.3
4MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

State Legislation

In 2005, more than 100 laws regarding sex offenders were

passed by state legislatures. This surging legislative activity

has continued into 2006. Recently enacted state laws include

measures that mandate:

■ Use of electronic monitoring or Global Positioning Systems

(GPS)

■ Increased penalties for failing to register

■ Mandatory sentences for certain offenses (most often crimes

against children)

■ Additional offenses subject to registration requirements

■ More information made publicly available

■ Lifetime registration

■ Adding DNA information to public registries of those convicted

of certain sex crimes.

Examples of new state legislation:

■ In 2005, Florida passed the Jessica Lunsford Act which

increases penalties for crimes against children, mandates sex

offenders (under formal supervision or not) to report twice a

year in-person to local law enforcement, and requires lifetime

electronic monitoring for certain high risk offenders.

■ Effective July 1, 2006, Virginia passed legislation that

expands public information in the state registry to include

non-violent sex offenders, requires GPS monitoring for

serious sex offenders, and mandates state colleges and universities to submit student application information to the

Virginia State Police to be checked against the state and

national sex offender registry.

■ Nebraska recently enacted legislation that requires “transient”

or homeless offenders to notify the local sheriff at least once

every 30 days or within 5 days of acquiring a new address.

State Sex Offender Registries (SORs)

The Wetterling Act required states to establish sex offender

registries (SORs). Who manages registries varies from state

to state. In March 2002, a BJS study reported the following

breakdown of agencies hosting state SORs:

■ State Police or Patrol (17);

■ Department of Public Safety (11);

■ Office of the Attorney General (6);

■ Department of Corrections (3); and

■ Other criminal justice agency (15)—i.e., crime information

centers, state division of criminal justice services, law enforcement

divisions, bureau of investigation.

Further, the study reported that there were approximately

386,000 convicted sex offenders registered in 49 states and the

District of Colombia.4

Information Sharing and Dissemination

Information captured and publicly shared in SORs differs across

states. While some SORs offer basic demographic data on the

registered offender, others provide greater detail — a photo, age

of victim, specific address, and employment information. There

is much debate over how much information is necessary to share

to enhance public safety.

The dissemination of sex offender registration data generally

flows in both directions between the state agency and the

local law enforcement agency. State agencies notify a local law

enforcement agency when a sex offender is scheduled to be

released into their jurisdiction. Local law enforcement agencies

forward registration records to state agencies to update state

SORs. Information dissemination practices vary in scope

and frequency: some transmittals occur regularly, others by

request only. Registration information may be sent in paper

and/or electronic format.5 Further, because of the variance in

the types of information collected and posted (i.e., type of

offense, information processing delay) it is difficult to calculate

the exact of number of registered sex offenders in registries

across the country.

Sex Offender Management Boards

In addition to sex offender registries, many states have boards

that oversee efforts to manage sex offender populations effectively. Examples:

■ The Colorado Sex Offender Management Board is charged to

develop standards and guidelines to evaluate, treat, and monitor

the behavior of sex offenders.

■ The Illinois Sex Offender Management Board develops

and implements standards and laws to protect victims and

communities and to hold offenders accountable through the
5SECTION I: KEY POLICY MANDATES IMPACTING LAW ENFORCEMENT: LEGISLATION TARGETING SEX OFFENDERS

identification, treatment, and monitoring of both adult and

juvenile sex offenders.

■ The Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board institutes

an automatic appeal process for offenders before their inclusion in the state’s registry.

Implementing Community Notification Laws

While a few states already had community notification statutes

in place, the mid-to-late 1990s brought wider interpretation of

community notification laws, or Megan’s Law. To comply with

Megan’s Law, all states began to authorize community notification provisions at varying paces and degrees of implementation.

The law left states with wide discretion and interpretation on:

■ How notification happens and when;

■ Which offenders communities receive notification about;

■ Who gets notified;

■ What information communities receive; and

■ Who notifies the community.

The March 2002 BJS report examined local community

notification practices. Examples of community notification

practices include:

■ Holding community meetings;

■ Hanging fliers in the department and/or handing them out

in the community;

■ Posting information on a state and/or local agency website;

■ Supplying information upon public request; and

■ Providing the state’s SOR web link on the local agency’s

web site.

In addition to these practices, many law enforcement agencies

report additional notification activities such as publishing

certain registered sex offender names and photos in local or

neighborhood newspapers.

Many studies and reports examine the impact and effectiveness

of community notification laws but few focus specifically on

the direct impact to law enforcement.6 With many states enacting

new laws and with law enforcement’s resources continuing to

be stretched, the efficacy of community notification practices

will likely be studied in greater detail.

Local Ordinances: Housing

and Residency Restrictions

Local governing bodies are increasingly proposing and enacting

ordinances directed at sex offenders. Examples of these ordinances include those that limit multiple sex offenders from

residing in one structure and prohibit sex offenders from living

within a certain range from schools, daycares, playgrounds,

and other areas where children congregate. Illinois state law

prohibits registered sex offenders from residing within 500 feet

of a school, day care facility, park, or playground. Oklahoma

recently passed legislation that bans certain sex offenders from

living within 2,000 feet of similar facilities, rendering certain

towns and counties unlivable for sex offenders, pushing offenders

to abscond or relocate in neighboring jurisdictions. In some

states, local jurisdictions are passing residency restrictions that

are more restrictive than the state law.

The constitutionality of residency restrictions is facing legal

challenges. For example, Georgia recently enacted a state

law that declares sex offenders convicted of specific offenses

(predatory and child molesters) cannot live within 1,000 feet

of a church, school, child-care facility or school bus stop.

In June 2006, a federal judge blocked the state from implementing a portion of the law which prohibits sex offenders

from living within 1,000 feet of a school bus stop.

Summary of Key Policy

Mandates Impacting 

Law Enforcement

All levels of government have created legislation targeting

sex offenders. While laws have been passed to strengthen law

enforcement’s ability to monitor and track sex offenders,

the responsibility placed on law enforcement operations has

grown precipitously.
6MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

SECTION II

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE FIELD: OPERATIONAL

CHALLENGES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT EXECUTIVES

Sex offender management policy mandates further tax

law enforcement’s already stretched resources. From our

literature review and field research, we can discern the

direct and indirect costs from expanded sex offender legislation

and the resulting operational challenges. Operational challenges

covered below include those directly and indirectly attributable

to legislative mandates.

Operational Challenges Directly

Resulting from Legislation

Remaining Current with Legislation

Law enforcement personnel must work constantly to keep up

to date on their own state’s current laws, neighboring state

laws, and any national laws that impact their sex offender

enforcement efforts. Initial IACP field research in local law

enforcement agencies indicates that to enforce new national

and state laws, agencies will need:

■ Additional personnel to process and conduct in-person

registrations,

■ Equipment to accurately and efficiently complete the

registration process,

■ Personnel to maintain and verify the accuracy of information

within the offender registration files, and

■ To develop and maintain relationships with other public safety

agencies to regularly exchange information and intelligence.

Given Congress’ recent passing of the Adam Walsh Child

Protection and Safety Act in July 2006, it is too early to

interpret the implications to law enforcement not included

in the above listed needs.

Implementing Community Notification

By its design, community notification produces massive

numbers of public inquiries regarding sex offenders living in

the community. Inconsistencies in states’ policies often exacerbate the situation by leading to a confused public and frustrated

law enforcement community trying to implement notification

in the most cost effective and safest way possible. A Seattle Police

Department detective aptly describes the widespread confusion

that can result from inconsistent community notification

policies and SOR systems from state to state:

“This type of system where everyone is on their own is very

confusing for law enforcement, especially as offenders move

across state lines. It is also confusing to offenders who find

different rules and regulations in each state. Citizens are

equally confused when they find that an offender, who had to

register for life in one state, doesn’t have to register in the new

state. They are confused when one state places their registered

sex offenders on an Internet site, yet in their state, Internet

posting is not allowed.” 7

In December 2000, the National Institute of Justice released a

publication that describes the impact of community notification on several stakeholders (residents, law enforcement,

probation/parole, and sex offenders) in Wisconsin.8 The study

included survey responses from 188 police and sheriff agencies;

survey results revealed that the Wisconsin Department of

Corrections and the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police and Badger State

Sheriffs’ Associations had already developed guidelines for public

notification of sex offenders. The guidelines call for a local or

regional approach to notification involving law enforcement,

corrections, and other agencies. Other survey results echo

current concerns of law enforcement executives: additional labor

expenditures, increased workload, and added strain on departmental resources. Emerging trends in sex offender management

strategies may include developing similar statewide community

notification policies for local law enforcement agencies.

Enforcing Residency Restrictions

As addressed previously, many local governing bodies are

expanding the radius of residency restrictions beyond the state

requirement. Potential consequences of residency restrictions

could be sex offenders deciding not to register with, and therefore, failing to notify law enforcement of their whereabouts.

Consequently, when such a restriction is in place, many sex

offenders are pushed into adjacent communities, raising concern

with the local community and causing a new public safety

challenge for neighboring law enforcement agencies. From a

management strategy perspective, many law enforcement

agencies are struggling to comply with such mandates.

Offender Address Verification

Conducting address verifications is an important aspect of

effective tracking and monitoring efforts. In some states, law

enforcement is mandated to perform address verification checks

of certain registered sex offenders on an annual or bi-annual

basis. In other states, the decision to conduct address verifications is optional, made by the individual agency executive.

Many law enforcement agencies do not have appropriate

staffing levels to adequately verify sex offenders’ addresses on a
7SECTION II: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE FIELD: OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT EXECUTIVES

regular basis. The lack of verification activity contributes to and results

in an increase of inaccurate sex offender registration data and reduces

the intent of sex offender registration laws.

Operational Challenges Indirectly

Resulting from Legislation

Forging Strategic Partnerships 

and Enforcement Efforts

In the course of examining the literature and current sex offender management initiatives, we have learned that law enforcement agencies are

forging partnerships resulting in increased abilities to supervise, monitor,

and track registered and unregistered sex offenders. The Center for Sex

Offender Management states that no two jurisdictions will comprehensively manage sex offenders in the same manner, but an essential

component of an effective strategy involves multidisciplinary and multiagency practices.9 In other words, resources, funding, and local offender

population are variable and determining factors in a local law enforcement agency’s sex offender management strategy. Nonetheless, effective

sex offender management practices stress that law enforcement must also

partner with a larger network of local, regional, or national agencies to

share information.

To meet the various requirements of federal and state laws and to

acknowledge community outcries, law enforcement agencies are creating

special internal units to track and monitor registered sex offenders and

establishing formal liaisons with correctional and other public safety

agencies. Some departments work closely with state law enforcement

officials to follow up on absconders and non-compliant offenders.

Others, like St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, have entered into a

memorandum of understanding with city police departments to bolster

and strengthen the region’s sex offender management efforts.

Using Technology: 

Global Positioning Systems (GPS)

Developed in the 1960s, GPS has emerged as a technological tool

for supervising and monitoring sex offenders, most widely used by

correctional supervising agents rather than law enforcement personnel.

Many state legislatures are arguing for increased use of electronic

monitoring for high risk sex offenders. While GPS affords supervisory

agents greater capacity to monitor the physical movement of sex

offenders, primary disadvantages include:

■ Cost (can be four to five times as much as standard electronic

monitoring)

■ Requires additional staffing

■ Dependence on cell phone availability and connection

■ Cooperation of offender

■ Housing (offenders must have a place to charge equipment).10

In 2005, the state of Maryland convened a task force to study Criminal

Offending Monitoring by GPS. In examining law enforcement’s ability

to use GPS as a crime solving tool, the task force determined that:

“GPS technology should be utilized on persons that are a high

risk to public safety. Therefore, the collaborative and cooperative

procedures giving access to these [sic] data to law enforcement

personnel and allowing input from law enforcement in GPS’s

use on individuals need to be fundamental considerations in the

design of the overall strategy.” 10

It is uncertain at what level police and sheriff’s departments will

begin to use the technology and/or if electronic monitoring systems

will become “a fundamental consideration” as part of an overall sex

offender management practice and strategy. If current trends continue, most states are likely to pass laws that require some form of

electronic monitoring for certain high risk sex offenders.

Tracking Challenges

Homeless sex offenders and sex offenders moving across states often slip

through the cracks of registration systems and create a burdensome

tracking challenge for law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement

also struggles with the retroactivity of statutes; a vast number of

sex offenders do not fall under any type of supervision or registration

requirements because of legislation passed after their release or prior to

any registration or notification requirements in the state. The Adam

Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 establishes a national

sex offender registry with standardized information accessible to law

enforcement intended to assist them with tracking the movement of

sex offenders across states.

Summary of Operational

Challenges for Law Enforcement

Executives

Law enforcement executives will continue to face significant operational challenges as new legislation unfolds, the registered sex offender

population grows, and the community demands for safety increases.

The following section highlights one operational response employed

by an increasing number of law enforcement agencies — citizens

supporting law enforcement’s sex offender management efforts.
8MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

SECTION III

AN OPERATIONAL RESPONSE: CITIZEN SUPPORT 

IN MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS

Law enforcement agencies are finding innovative solutions to operational challenges

posed by the burgeoning numbers of registered sex offenders. One innovative approach

is enlisting volunteers and partnering with citizens to support and enhance agency

efforts to manage sex offenders. Citizens and volunteers play a significant role in enhancing

law enforcement’s ability to maintain public safety and comply with sex offender mandates.

Volunteers are helping law enforcement fill voids in their efforts to:

■ Process and conduct in-person registrations,

■ Maintain and verify the accuracy of information within sex offender registration files,

and

■ Develop and sustain relationships with other public safety agencies to regularly

exchange information and intelligence.

Many agencies have been successful in identifying meaningful and beneficial volunteer roles.

Specifically:

■ The registration process generates a great deal of paperwork. Maintaining an accurate, up

to date database and filing system is critical to effectively managing tasks related to tracking

and monitoring registered sex offenders. Volunteers provide significant administrative

support with keeping these systems organized and up to date.

■ Agencies have also trained special groups of volunteers to hand out community notification

fliers to residents surrounding a sex offender’s residence.

■ Some departments use auxiliary officers to conduct regular address verifications of registered

sex offenders. In some states, legislation mandates that local law enforcement conduct

address verifications of certain registered sex offenders.

■ Some departments have developed formal relationships with citizen groups and organizations to create educational materials that define community notification laws and

provide community members with guidance on how to contact law enforcement for

additional information.

The reason for citizen involvement is clear—the community is eager to support the police or

sheriff’s department in enhancing community safety and to protect itself from sex offenders

and predators. This section offers profiles of thirteen different law enforcement agencies’

efforts to engage citizens in such activities.

For contextual purposes,

each profile includes a brief

snapshot of the sex offender

registration process in that

state. The snapshot includes

a description of the:

State Sex Offender Registry:

Identifies which public safety

agency is responsible for managing the state’s sex offender

registry.

Classification System:

A majority of states have created

classification systems designed

to determine a sex offender’s

level of risk to the community.

Registration requirements and

the type of public information

released are often based upon

a sex offender’s classification.

Key Registration Components:

Answers to questions regarding who is required to register,

for what offenses, with what

local law enforcement agency,

and for how long are found in

lengthy, and sometimes vague,

state statutes. This section

briefly summarizes key aspects

of the state’s registration laws

of which the local agency

must comply.
9SECTION III: AN OPERATIONAL RESPONSE: CITIZEN SUPPORT IN MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS

Agency Profile

■ County Population Served: 764,000

■ Sworn Employees: 1,857

■ Number of Registered Offenders: 600

■ Departmental Unit: Criminal Investigations Division

Assessing the Need

Under Maryland law, child sex offenders must register annually, in person with law enforcement in

the jurisdiction in which the registrant lives or where a non-resident registrant works or attends

school. In 2001, the Baltimore County Police Department (BCOPD) Family Crimes Unit conducted a random check of registered child sex offenders in Baltimore County. Of the offenders

checked, many were in non-compliance with state law by failing to maintain a verifiable address.

As part of the department’s sex offender management strategy, the BCOPD increased their address

verification efforts of child sex offenders by engaging members of the BCOPD Auxiliary Police Team.

While Maryland law does not mandate address verifications, BCOPD believes that conducting

such checks are an important piece of their overall sex offender management strategy. Additionally,

community members have voiced their gratitude for the additional monitoring efforts.

Operational Response

Creating a Sex Offender Registration Team (SORT)

In 2006, the BCOPD made a strategic decision to move sex offender management activities from

the records division to the criminal investigations division. Centralizing these activities in the new

division allows the department to more aggressively monitor and track registered sex offenders.

The newly created Sex Offender Registration Team (SORT) is supervised by the Special

Victims Unit corporal and comprises one civilian police service officer (PSO) and one detective.

This structure provides for more upper level administrative support for all positions.

Increased Address Verification Efforts

The SORT unit is responsible for conducting address verification checks. Supporting the unit are

members of the BCOPD Auxiliary Police Team (APT). APT members are specially trained volunteers

that assist the BCOPD with patrol, calls for service, crowd and traffic control, community events,

and other duties. Auxiliary officers wear brown uniforms (distinct from the department’s blue

uniform), drive marked vehicles, and work in pairs. Address checks of registered child sex offenders

are performed once a year on a random basis. An auxiliary commander is responsible for coordinating the address checks within his/her assigned precinct. When the auxiliary members are called

for support, their specific duties include:

State Sex Offender Registry: 

Maryland Department of Public

Safety and Correctional

Services

http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/

onlineservs/sor

Classification System: 

■ Sexually Violent Predator 

■ Sexually Violent Offender

■ Child Sex Offender

■ Sexual Offender 

Key Registration Component:

Most serious offenders must

register regularly and for life

with a designated local law

enforcement agency. New laws

take effect on 9/1/06.

Baltimore County Police Department (Maryland)

Address Verification of Child Sex Offenders
10MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

■ Responding (in pairs) to the sex offender’s registered address and

identifying themselves to adults present at the residence;

■ Interviewing the offender and/or other adults present;

■ Completing a Sexual Offender Address Verification form and

returning it to the team administrator within thirty days.

If the registered offender’s address cannot be verified or if it is determined that the offender does not live at the address, the information

is noted on the form. Any required follow up or investigations are

given to the Special Victims Unit personnel. Even if the offender is

not at the registered address, the auxiliary members are still able to

collect valuable information from other adults and neighbors that

live at or near the residence.

The sergeant in charge of the auxiliary unit is very appreciative of the

volunteer’s assistance. The auxiliary officers provide significant support

to the SORT unit; they have the ability to perform over seventy

checks in one day. Without these trained volunteers, the address

checks would happen less often.

Future Activities

The BCOPD also has a Citizens on Patrol (COP) unit. As an established, visible community group, the BCOPD is considering using

COP volunteers to further support their sex offender management

efforts. Possible activities include having copies of notification letters

in COP units for the volunteers to distribute when appropriate.

Lessons Learned

■ Improving the quality of life and protecting the public are key

departmental values. Using a trained group of citizens enhances the

department’s support with the community.

■ To have a successful program, the sergeant recommends the need

for appropriate supervision of the auxiliary team and stresses that

interviewing skills must be a key training point.

Contact Information

Police Services Officer Sarah Hahn or Corporal Steve Duffey

Phone: 410-887-5584

http://www.co.ba.md.us
11SECTION III: AN OPERATIONAL RESPONSE: CITIZEN SUPPORT IN MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS

Agency Profile

■ City Population Served: 115,500

■ Sworn Employees: 175

■ Number of Registered Offenders: 80

■ Departmental Unit: Investigations/Crime Analysis Unit

Assessing the Need

In 2002, a Level One registered sex offender was arrested and convicted for brutally attacking and

beating a Bellevue woman. The investigation revealed that the offender had a criminal record that

could have placed him in a higher risk level category. As a result of the case, the Bellevue Police

Department’s (BPD) crime analysis detective decided to review and verify risk level assessments on all

of the registered sex offenders in the city of Bellevue. Enlisting the support of a volunteer, the department collected comprehensive information on eighty sex offenders. The process took approximately

one year to complete, but with the volunteer’s hard work, the department was able to confidently

provide reliable and accurate information regarding sex offenders in Bellevue.

Operational Response

Currently, the BPD has a volunteer who uses a state-provided scoring tool to assign a risk-to-reoffend

level for every sex offender who registers within City limits. Once the volunteer has reviewed all the

information (i.e., background, history, and documentation) and assigned a risk level, he and the crime

analysis detective meet to discuss the risk level classification. While the detective makes the ultimate risk

level determination, the volunteer’s careful review of the materials helps to ensure that all details are

taken into consideration. If they agree the level should be different than what is currently assigned, the

case is taken to the city attorney. As a result of the added review, the BPD has increased the number of

Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders. This reclassification allowed the department to share relevant information about these offenders with the public that they would have otherwise been unable to do.

Lessons Learned

■ Screening and supervision are keys to success. Because the volunteer has access to case details, the material

can be upsetting. The supervisor and the volunteer must completely support and trust each other.

■ Both the community and the police department benefit from an increased awareness of an

offender’s assigned risk level.

Contact Information

Detective Frank Nunnelee

Phone: 425-452-4484 • Email: FNunnelee@ci.bellevue.wa.us • http://www.ci.bellevue.wa.us

Bellevue Police Department (Washington)

Determining Risk to Re-offend

State Sex Offender Registry: 

Washington Association of

Sheriffs and Police Chiefs

through the Washington 

State Patrol 

http://ml.waspc.org/

Classification System: 

■ Level 3 High Risk

■ Level 2 Moderate Risk

■ Level 1 Low Risk

Key Registration Components:

For all qualifying offenses, sex

offenders are required to register in person at the Sheriff’s

office in the county of their

residence. The duration of an

offender's duty to register is

based upon the original offense.
12MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

Agency Profile

■ City Population Served: 293,000

■ Sworn Employees: 774

■ Number of Registered Sex Offenders: 600

■ Departmental Unit: Sex Offense Squad

Assessing the Need

Believing that direct citizen input is an essential part of developing community notification protocols,

the lieutenant in charge of the Buffalo Police Department’s (BPD) Sex Offense Squad sought just that.

After discussions with the police commissioner, he met with an established group of citizens to listen

as to how best to disseminate information regarding sex offenders to the community. That meeting,

with the BPD’s Citizen Advisory Group to the Police Commissioner (CAG), led to the creation of an

educational brochure that articulates sex offender laws and ordinances, offers myriad ways to find

registered sex offenders, and shares tips for keeping kids safe. A copy of the brochure can be found in the

Appendix section.

Operational Response

Collaboration and Education

The mission of the BPD’s CAG is to assist the police department through a cooperative effort in

assessing community needs and expectations relative to police services, consolidation, and community policing. When approached for input, the group was delighted to be involved; they were

especially willing to participate in this effort because it concerned increasing the safety of children.

The ultimate decision to create a brochure was a collaborative effort between the CAG and sworn

staff. While the Sex Offense Squad lieutenant maintained ultimate oversight of the brochure,

community members played a large role in determining what information was to be included in

the brochure.

The CAG asserts that the larger community does not readily know where or how to obtain basic

information about registered sex offenders in their community. The brochure was created to:

■ Increase awareness of sex offender laws and ordinances;

■ Identify and list available resources (telephone numbers, Internet sites, and local resources);

■ Increase communication with and reporting to the police about suspicious behaviors; and

■ Bridge an information gap.

A broad marketing strategy for the brochure is already underway. CAG members distribute the

brochure to faith-based groups, citizen preparedness centers, block clubs, at city-wide events

(i.e., preparedness fairs, festivals), listservs, and through other targeted outreach. The costs of

Buffalo Police Department (New York)

Community Education and Outreach

State Sex Offender Registry: 

New York State Division of

Criminal Justice Services

http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us

Classification System: 

■ Level 3 High Risk

■ Level 2 Moderate Risk

■ Level 1 Low Risk

Special designations: sexual

predator, sexually violent

offender, predicate sexual

offender.

Key Registration Components:

All levels must register with New

York State. Level 1 with no designation are required to register

for twenty years. Level 1 (with

designation), Level 2, and Level

3 must register with local police

department for life (Level 3

every 90 days).
13SECTION III: AN OPERATIONAL RESPONSE: CITIZEN SUPPORT IN MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS

producing the brochure are minimal, involving mostly printing and

postage. Many community groups will reproduce and disseminate

the brochure themselves.

Future Activities

Once the brochure has been well-saturated throughout the community,

the Sex Offense Squad lieutenant hopes to hold more educational

meetings and conduct tailored outreach. For example, if a community

has a high rate of interfamilial-related crimes, the Unit would send

sworn staff and a representative from an appropriate community

resource to talk to the group. This discussion would be different from

a meeting with another community that might have a high rate or

reports of violent crimes or sexual assaults.

Lessons Learned

■ The biggest programmatic benefit is that ideas are coming directly

from the community helping the sworn staff to understand the

community’s perspective on what they want and need to know;

community members are fully invested in the process.

■ Costs are minimal to the department. A large network of community

organizations will absorb most of the low printing costs and will use

members to widely distribute the brochure throughout the city.

■ Find a core community group that is reflective of the city’s demographics and encourage them to meet with police department to

learn about sex offender management activities.

Contact Information

Michele Graves, BPD 

Community Liaison

Phone: 716-851-4112 • Email: shellyg116@aol.com

http://www.ci.buffalo.ny.us
14MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

Agency Profile

■ City Population Served: 554,636

■ Sworn Employees: 1,523

■ Number of Registered Offenders: 1,260 (over 3,000 in Greater Denver Metro area)

■ Departmental Unit: Crimes Against Persons

Assessing the Need

One of the initial volunteer positions created within the Denver Police Department’s (DPD)

volunteer program was administrative support for the Sex Offender Registration Unit. A detective

within the unit is responsible for maintaining sex offender registration files, processing failure to

register violations, conducting community meetings, and implementing other community notification activities. With such a large number of files to maintain and activities to coordinate,

the volunteer support allows greater flexibility for the detective and ensures that registration files

are accurate and up-to-date.

Sex offenders may register at the police department from 8:00 am to 2:30 pm Monday through

Friday; the initial registration process can take more than an hour to complete. Large amounts of

paperwork and other materials must be filed. Additionally, the DPD is required to conduct

community notification meetings for offenders classified as sexually violent predators. Investment of

time is significant and efforts surrounding sex offender management are time intensive. Preparation

and planning for community meetings consumes a large portion of the detective’s time, approximately two to three days per meeting. During this time, maintaining and updating the sex offender

registration files must wait.

Operational Response

When the Denver police department began their volunteer program, the Sex Offender Registration

detective immediately requested help. Through an established screening and selection process, the

detective found two volunteers to help out two to three days a week. In a short time, the volunteers

organized and filed all the stacks of registration materials. Now, volunteers collect basic background

information for the files including making phone calls to verify addresses and entering information

into the department’s database. The volunteer support has provided the detective with much

more time to focus on community notification activities, such as posting the “Sexually Violent

Predator Community Notification Bulletin” on the DPD’s website and managing and tracking

non-compliant offenders.

Denver Police Department (Colorado)

Administrative Support: Organizing 

and Maintaining Sex Offender Files

State Sex Offender Registry: 

Colorado Bureau of

Investigation

http://sor.state.co.us/

Classification System: 

■ Sexually violent predators

■ Multiple offenders

■ Failed to register

■ Felony conviction

Key Registration Components:

The requirement to register is

determined by a judge at sentencing; those required may

have to register anywhere from

quarterly to annually.
15SECTION III: AN OPERATIONAL RESPONSE: CITIZEN SUPPORT IN MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS

Lessons Learned

■ Since the volunteer sits in the room where photos and electronic

fingerprints are captured, he may hear about certain details of the

offense(s); the volunteer must be comfortable working in this environment and be confident in approaching a supervisor if they are not.

■ Volunteers must be sensitive to confidentiality issues.

Contact Information

Detective Richard D. Schneider

Phone: 720-913-6156 • Email: schneiderr@ci.denver.co.us

http://www.denvergov.org/police
16MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

Agency Profile

■ City Population Served: 564,000

■ Sworn Employees: 1,100

■ Number of Registered Sex Offenders: 454

■ Departmental Unit: Sex Offender Registration and Tracking Unit

Assessing the Need

The goal of the El Paso Police Department’s (EPPD) Sex Offender and Registration Tracking Unit

(SORT) is to ensure that there are no more victims of sex crimes at the hands of registered sex

offenders. The unit is comprised of three officers responsible for registering, tracking, and

monitoring sex offenders within the city of El Paso. These officers also provide public notification

information to the community, local newspapers, and school districts. Maintaining an accurate

database and file system is critical to effectively managing these tasks and tracking registered sex

offenders. Volunteers have provided a great deal of administrative support to the SORT unit.

Operational Response

Administrative Support

Currently, one volunteer assists the SORT unit by updating and maintaining the department’s internal

database of registered sex offenders. Since 2002, the volunteer has expanded the database to include

updates on offenders’ movements from one jurisdiction to another (for example, movement in and

out of the city to the county). On a regular basis, the volunteer generates separate listings for offenders

that are required to register every ninety days and annually. These lists allow the SORT officers to

quickly identify which offenders are delinquent in their registration and immediately respond.

The officers highly value the volunteer’s support since the registration process generates a large

amount of paperwork. The volunteer work performed allows the officers to spend more time in

the field verifying addresses and checking on registered offenders. While in the field, the officers

rely heavily on the presence of the volunteer and often call him to quickly access information

contained in the sex offender database.

Future Activities

The chief of police is considering expanding citizen involvement activities in support of the

EPPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Team. With special training, volunteers would

assist the ICAC team by viewing or entering online chat rooms to help catch online predators.

El Paso Police Department (Texas)

Administrative Support—Database Management

State Sex Offender Registry: 

Texas Department 

of Public Safety

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us

Classification System: 

■ Civil Commitment

■ Level 3 High Risk

■ Level 2 Moderate Risk

■ Level 1 Low Risk

Registration Requirements:

For all qualifying offenses,

offenders are required to register

with the local law enforcement

entity for ten years or life,

depending upon the offense.
17SECTION III: AN OPERATIONAL RESPONSE: CITIZEN SUPPORT IN MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS

Lessons Learned

■ Developing information sharing partnerships with other law

enforcement agencies enhances the department’s ability to track sex

offenders. The EPPD works closely with local, state, and Federal

law enforcement agencies.

Contact Information

Officer Roger Genera

Phone: 915-298-9663 • Email: generar@elpasotexas.gov

http://www.ci.el-paso.tx.us/police
18MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

Fairfax County Police Department (Virginia)

Protecting Children on the Internet

Agency Profile

■ County Population Served: 986,000

■ Sworn Employees: 1,309

■ Number of Registered Sex Offenders: 391

■ Departmental Unit: Major Crimes Division, Child Services Unit

Assessing the Need

ChildSafeNet (CSN) is a non-profit organization working with local law enforcement officials to

make communities safer for kids. CSN was founded and spearheaded by a Fairfax County resident

who has a personal commitment to protecting children from sexual predators online and in the

open community.

The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) is the first law enforcement partner to implement

the CSN’s feature program, Protecting Children Against Sex Offenders (P’CASO). This program

was developed in partnership with the FCPD and is centered upon the belief that sexual offenders

can be managed most effectively at the local community level. FCPD leadership strongly believes

that there is a clear role for citizens to play by educating parents to monitor what kids are doing

on the Internet. The P’CASO program’s stated goals are to:

■ Increase local law enforcement’s capacity to apprehend child sexual predators on the Internet

and in the open community;

■ Increase local law enforcement’s capacity to monitor convicted sex offenders who are released

back into society, and;

■ Increase public awareness of child safety through quality educational programs for adults and kids.

Operational Response

Sexual Predator Enforcement and Apprehension Detail (SPEAD)

In 2004, the Sexual Predator Enforcement and Apprehension Detail (SPEAD) was launched in

the Major Crimes Division. Under the supervision of a second lieutenant within the Child

Services Unit, the SPEAD unit originally comprised three detectives funded through the

P’CASO program. In May 2006, the FCPD added an additional SPEAD detective, one child

exploitation detective, and one computer forensics detective funded through P’CASO’s support.

As part of their monitoring and investigative efforts, SPEAD detectives collect routine intelligence

to assist with tracking and also communicate regularly with the Virginia State Police to aggressively

enforce state sex offender registry laws.

State Sex Offender Registry: 

Virginia State Police

http://sex-offender.vsp.virginia.

gov/sor

Classification System: 

■ Violent Sex Offender

■ Sex Offender

Registration Requirements:

Violent sex offenders must register every 90 days. Sex offenders

must register every 12 months.

*As of July 1, 2006 non-violent

offenders are also included in

the state’s public registry.
19SECTION III: AN OPERATIONAL RESPONSE: CITIZEN SUPPORT IN MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS

Successes

While the P’CASO program is still balancing between the implementation and operational phases, the benefits of the partnership are

clearly evident. FCPD attributes part of the program’s success to the

heart and soul of the community members managing the program.

With the recent high profile media coverage of sex offenders, the

police department has received a large volume of calls from the

community. Both CSN and the police department have been able to

point to this partnership and their active efforts to protect children

and to prevent online victimization by sexual predators.

Challenges

Aggressively monitoring and enforcing compliance with registration

laws requires human and financial resources. Through the CSN partnership, the FCPD has been able to bolster its capacity to track and

monitor sex offenders. But funding (both public and private) for

these added positions was and continues to be difficult to obtain.

Fortunately, because FCPD is a large organization, they are able to

adapt and use existing resources to push the effort forward. If an

agency is considering developing a similar partnership or effort,

agency size may be a factor in determining project scope. Lastly,

FCPD strongly encourages law enforcement agencies to clearly define

the roles and responsibilities of police and local officials during the

planning stages.

Future Activities

ChildSafeNet and the police department have proceeded using existing

resources with minimal private funds. To fully implement the program

as planned, additional resources are crucial. Both organizations

continue to conduct outreach to increase citizen participation and

awareness. In the long term, the department also hopes to involve

auxiliary volunteers in their sex offender management activities.

Lessons Learned

■ Maintaining open communication and a direct relationship

between organizational liaisons (public and private) is critical.

■ Be flexible and assume that organizational partners will need to

adapt. Any long term public/ private partnership will incur difficulties (financial, staff turnover, etc) and flexibility is key to

maintaining success.

Contact Information

Second Lieutenant Scott Durham

Phone: 703-246-7802 • Email: scott.durham@fairfaxcounty.gov

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police
20MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

Agency Profile

■ City Population Served: 75,000

■ Sworn Employees: 135

■ Number of Registered Offenders: 105

■ Departmental Unit: Administrative Services Division

Assessing the Need

In 2003, community members approached the Framingham Police Department (FPD) and

inquired about the community notification process and related laws. The FPD was sending notification emails and packets to Boys and Girls clubs and schools for Level 2 and Level 3 offenders.

Following this meeting, the Chief decided to expand the department’s website to include information on Level 3 offenders and to physically hand out notification fliers within a 500 feet

radius of a Level 3 sex offender’s home. Yet, with other duties, few sworn officers were able to

commit the time needed for distributing fliers. Fortunately, the FPD has a dedicated, qualified

group of auxiliary volunteers who were ready and willing to assist with this valuable task.

Operational Response

Distribution of Community Notification Fliers

The Framingham Auxiliary Police (FAP) is a group of approximately twenty-five men and

women who volunteer their time and skills as auxiliary police officers. The FAP provides approximately 4,000 hours of community service to the town annually and acts as an additional set of

eyes and ears for the Framingham community.

The lieutenant assigned to the FPD’s Licensing Bureau is responsible for managing the sex

offender registration process. When a Level 3 offender first registers, the lieutenant generates a

map and a notification flier. The flier is posted in the department’s lobby and copies are given to

the auxiliary captain to coordinate the auxiliary volunteer’s activity. In teams of two, FAP officers

distribute the notification fliers to neighbors living within 500 feet of a Level 3 sex offender.

The FAP officers complete a checklist to identify and track which addresses have received fliers.

The entire process takes approximately two to three weeks to complete.

Safety

Safety of the FAP officers and the community are priorities for the department. Safety precautions

include clearly noting the offender’s address on the map so that fliers are not distributed to the

offender’s address. Because some neighborhoods may be considered less safe than others, the FPD

does not use civilian volunteers to perform this task. Additionally, the shift commander and

dispatch are always informed when the FAP officers are in the field handing out fliers.

Framingham Police Department (Massachusetts)

Active Community Notification

State Sex Offender Registry: 

Massachusetts Sex Offender

Registry Board

http://www.mass.gov

Classification System: 

■ Sexually Violent Predator

(Special Designation of Level 3) 

■ Level 3 High Risk

■ Level 2 Moderate Risk

■ Level 1 Low Risk

■ Level 0 Awaiting Classification 

Key Registration Components:

Once a risk level is assigned,

Level 2 and 3 offenders must

register in person with the local

police department in the city

in which they reside. Level 1

offenders register by mail to the

Massachusetts Sex Offender

Registry Board.
21SECTION III: AN OPERATIONAL RESPONSE: CITIZEN SUPPORT IN MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS

Benefits

Handing out notification fliers door-to-door reaches a broader segment

of the community that may not have access to the Internet, regularly

watch the news, or be able to get to the police department to view

the posted fliers. Having the FAP officers out in the neighborhoods

also assists the department with tracking information about the

offenders. Often times, community members will speak with the

auxiliary officers and thank them for their efforts and alert them if

they know that an offender no longer resides at an address or if they

are driving a different vehicle.

Lessons Learned

■ The chief of police believes the decision to hand out fliers demonstrates the department’s leadership in increasing public safety and

forging community partnerships.

■ Without the FAP officers’ support, the police department would

not be able to provide a heightened level of community notification

(i.e., going door-to-door and handing out notification fliers).

Contact Information

Lieutenant Ronald Brandolini

Phone: 508-628-1349, Ext. 245

http://www.framinghampd.org/
22MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

Agency Profile

■ County Population Served: 200,000

■ Sworn Employees: 151

■ Number of Registered Offenders: 263

■ Departmental Unit: Support Services

Assessing the Need

As the designated local law enforcement official under Missouri law, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s

Office (JCSO) must register approximately 260 sex offenders who are required to register in person,

every ninety days or annually, for life. Processing and filing these registrations requires significant time

and oversight. Sex offender registration responsibilities fall under the purview of the Victim Service

Coordinator (VSC). The VSC’s duties also include reviewing domestic violence cases, going to court,

and acting as a liaison with the women’s shelter. Without the support of two volunteers, she is significantly strained to conduct registrations and perform all other job functions.

Operational Response

Registration Volunteers

The JCSO has streamlined their registration process by using two longstanding department volunteers

to assist with this mandatory task. Because of these volunteers, the JCSO is able to accept and

process registrations two full days a week. As sex offender information is shared publicly, the VSC

must also spend a considerable amount of time answering and responding to large volumes of public

inquiry. The volunteers help to alleviate this strain on the department’s limited resources. Working

on alternate days, the volunteers assist with:

■ Processing new registrations, taking fingerprints, and entering information into a database;

■ Checking the offender’s driver’s license and taking photographs when necessary;

■ Recording address changes or any new information provided by offenders;

■ Verifying information on JCSO registration cards and forms; and

■ Entering information into the department’s database.

A principal benefit of using the volunteers in registration is accuracy of information. Information

collected is more accurate because there is an extra set of eyes checking registration documents.

The volunteers give the registration cards to the VSC to be reviewed and signed before they are

sent to the state highway patrol for inclusion in the state’s sex offender registry.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (Missouri)

Registering Sex Offenders

State Sex Offender Registry: 

Missouri State Highway Patrol

http://www.mshp.dps.missouri.

gov

Classification System: 

None

Key Registration Component:

For all qualifying offenses, sex

offenders are required to register annually for life with the

chief law enforcement official

(sheriff) in the county in which

they reside.

If the victim is under the age of

18, the offender must register

every 90 days.
23SECTION III: AN OPERATIONAL RESPONSE: CITIZEN SUPPORT IN MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS

Lessons Learned

■ Accuracy of information. By assisting in this capacity, the information collected is more accurate because there is an extra set of

eyes double checking registration cards and other forms.

■ It is important to the JCSO to have confident and unbiased

volunteers. This type of volunteer activity requires trust and the

right attitude.

Contact Information

Dawn Davison, Victim Services Coordinator

Phone: 636-797-5017 • Email: ddavison@jeffcomo.org

http://www.jcsd.org
24MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

Agency Profile

■ City Population Served: 17,000

■ Sworn Employees: 28

■ Number of Registered Offenders: 10–12

■ Departmental Unit: Criminal Investigations, Community Projects

Assessing the Need

While the number of registered sex offenders within Independence city limits is low, the

Independence Police Department (IPD) wanted to develop a process for quickly identifying

the presence of registered sex offenders within the city and surrounding counties. As the

region’s population and infrastructure has grown, the police department has taken an active

approach to their tracking and monitoring efforts. Part of this approach included recruiting a

long-standing, active volunteer to support the agency with sex offender management activities.

Operational Response

Administrative Support: Registered Sex Offender Binder

In 2005, the Captain over the IPD’s volunteer program approached a long-standing department volunteer and discussed how he might assist the department with tracking and monitoring registered

sex offenders. The result was the creation and maintenance of a binder that includes photos and

addresses of all registered sex offenders in Independence and addresses of registered offenders in

neighboring counties. Approximately every two weeks, the volunteer collects this information from

the state’s online registry and cross references the addresses to ensure that they are valid and accurate.

The purpose of the binder is to provide officers quick access to a centralized source of accurate

information about registered sex offenders in and around Independence. The binder is kept in

the department’s roll call space. The chief of police states centralizing this information helps to

save officers’ time and having the volunteer scrutinize addresses increases the accuracy of the

information maintained by the department.

Lessons Learned

■ It is important to be proactive and verify information shared on the state sex offender registry web site.

■ A volunteer activity does not need to be complicated to be effective.

Contact Information

Commander Anthony Lucas

Phone: 859-363-2921 • Email: communityprojects@cityofindependence.org

http://www.cityofindependence.org/police/

Independence Police Department (Kentucky)

Administrative Support: Verifying Sex 

Offender Registry Information

State Sex Offender Registry: 

Kentucky State Police

http://www.kentuckystatepolice.

org/sor

Classification System: 

■ Lifetime registrants

■ Ten year registrants

Key Registration Component:

Depending upon the qualifying offense, sex offenders are

required to register with the

sheriff’s office for ten years

or life:

■ if convicted after July 15,

1994 or incarcerated/sentenced after July 15, 1998

■ or if an offender is designated as Sexually Violent

Predator under another

state, territory, or federal law.
25SECTION III: AN OPERATIONAL RESPONSE: CITIZEN SUPPORT IN MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS

Agency Profile

■ Village Population Served: 8,800 (60,000 during the day)

■ Sworn Employees: 27

■ Number of Registered Offenders: 7

■ Departmental Unit: Operations

Assessing the Need

Illinois state law prohibits registered sex offenders from residing within 500 feet of a school,

day care facility, park, or playground. To enhance surveillance efforts, the Itasca Police

Department (IPD) leveraged existing department resources by incorporating the Citizen on

Patrol (COP) volunteer activities in support of their Habitual Offender Program; specifically

with monitoring registered sex offenders.

Operational Response

Enhanced Surveillance and Monitoring Activities

Established in May 2005, COP volunteers patrol in pairs for a minimum of four hours,

wear the Itasca Citizens on Patrol uniform, and drive a marked volunteer vehicle. COP volunteers regularly monitor registered sex offenders’ residences within corporate village limits

to gather vehicle information and/or document any suspicious activity. As mandated by state

law, COP volunteers patrol schools, day care facilities, parks, and other locations throughout

the village where children normally congregate. Any information gathered is organized into

binders kept in the COP vehicle and at the police department. COP volunteers maintain

the binder which includes:

■ COP procedures;

■ Suspect bulletin form with photo;

■ Vehicle photos with tags clearly visible; and

■ Locations of schools, day care facilities, parks, and other areas of interest (apartment playgrounds, country club, soccer field, etc.)

COP volunteers provide a valuable community service by specifically monitoring these areas

for the presence of registered sex offenders or their vehicles. If a registered sex offender or their

vehicle is observed in a prohibited location, COP volunteers immediately contact dispatch so

that an officer can investigate the matter. COP volunteers never exit their vehicles during these

situations; if they ever feel uncomfortable, they are instructed to contact a patrol officer.

Itasca Police Department (Illinois)

Citizens on Patrol: Enhanced Surveillance 

of Registered Sex Offenders

State Sex Offender Registry: 

Illinois State Police

http://www.isp.state.il.us/sor

Classification System: 

■ Sexually Violent

■ Sexually Dangerous

■ Sexual Predator

■ Sexual Offender

Key Registration Components:

■ Sexual offenders or sexual

predators must register with

chief of police or sheriff in

the jurisdiction in which they

reside. 

■ Sexually violent and sexually

dangerous offenders are generally incarcerated or under

the care and treatment of the

IL Department of Human

Services.
26MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

Benefits

The continuity of the COP monitoring and reporting efforts reap

many benefits. The deputy chief states that these activities:

■ Raise the awareness of both the community and patrol officers of

registration laws

■ Assist with maintaining accurate registration information

■ Send a message to registered sex offenders that registration laws

and village ordinances are being enforced.

Future Activities

During business hours, Itasca’s day population increases dramatically.

The IPD is concerned about the unknown number of sex offenders

that may work or travel through their town on a daily basis. The

department is considering the feasibility of expanding their COP

program to partner with neighboring jurisdictions. This would be

accomplished using a regional information sharing system to obtain

names, addresses, and vehicle information of registered sex offenders

in the neighboring jurisdictions. Currently, state law does not

require sex offenders to also register in their city of employment.

Lessons Learned

■ COP volunteers provide a valuable community service by specifically monitoring designated areas for the presence of registered sex

offenders or their vehicles.

■ The added monitoring support sends a message to registered sex

offenders that registration laws and village ordinances are being

enforced.

Contact Information

Deputy Chief Robert O’Connor

Phone: 630-773-1004 • Email: roconnor@itasca.com

http://www.itasca.com/police/
27SECTION III: AN OPERATIONAL RESPONSE: CITIZEN SUPPORT IN MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS

Agency Profile

■ City Population Served: 100,000

■ Sworn Employees: 155

■ Number of Registered Offenders: 92

■ Departmental Unit: Sex Crimes Unit, Criminal Investigations Division

Assessing the Need

Within the Palm Bay Police Department’s (PBPD) Sex Crimes Unit (SCU), one full-time officer has

the primary responsibility for coordinating PBPD’s sex offender tracking and monitoring efforts.

The unit’s goal is to ensure the safety of children through properly monitoring registered sex offenders

and predators. This officer also serves as PBPD’s representative on a county-wide sex offender registration and tracking team and participates in the Central Florida Sex Offender Task Force based in

Orlando. Providing key support and assisting the officer with his multiple SCU duties are a student

intern and volunteer members of the PBPD’s Volunteer Citizen Observer Patrol.

Operational Response

Internship: Sex Crimes Unit (SCU)

A forensics psychology student at the Florida Institute of Technology interns with the PBPD,

assigned specifically to the SCU. Giving approximately twelve hours a week, she accompanies the

officer out into the field, works on special projects, and enters data into the department’s internal

sex offender database. From her perspective as a community member, mother, and student, the

community needs more direction on where to look for information regarding sex offenders.

When the City Council asked the police department to create an informational flier to disseminate

to local schools, the intern worked together with the SCU officer to create a flier describing the

unit’s goals, available services (i.e., community meetings or presentations), and departmental

contact information. A copy of the flier can be found in the Appendix section.

Volunteer Citizen Observer Patrol (VCOP)

Since 1996, the PBPD’s Volunteer Citizen Observer Patrol (VCOP) has assisted the department

with a variety of supportive tasks including front desk duties, security and safety checks, and patrol

activities. When the numbers of registered sex offenders started to increase, the VCOPs stepped in

to help with community notification activities. When a sex offender relocates or moves into Palm

Bay, the SCU officer will verify the address and create a notification flier. In pairs, VCOPs distribute the fliers to residents, schools, and nursing homes within a one-mile radius of the offender’s

home. As a safety precaution, the volunteers do not deliver to the offender’s house or the house on

either side and are connected to the police department via car radios. Through their contact and

communication with neighbors and residents, the volunteers believe that any additional information

Palm Bay Police Department (Florida)

Integrating Volunteers into Community Notification Activities

State Sex Offender Registry: 

Florida Department of Law

Enforcement (FDLE)

http://www.floridasexoffender.net

Classification System: 

■ Sexual Predator 

■ Sexual Offender 

Key Registration Component:

Offenders and predators must

register in person twice a year

(birth month and six months

following) to the local Sheriff’s

Office or FDLE office.
28MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

they can collect for the police department greatly assists with their

monitoring and tracking efforts.

Future Activities

In the past, the PBPD had a volunteer team that would conduct

daily checks of the FDLE website and database to keep the department apprised of address changes. This activity was a tremendous

help and the SCU officer is hoping to find other volunteers to assist

in this capacity. Finding long-term volunteers to assist with these

administrative duties would allow him to focus even more time on

outreach efforts.

Lessons Learned

■ The public demands information on how law enforcement agencies

are tracking and monitoring sex offenders in the community.

PBPD executive and command staff strongly believe that using

volunteers helps to bridge this information gap.

■ Maintaining open lines of communication with neighboring

jurisdictions and corrections officials has led to increased accuracy

of address and registration information for the police department.

Contact Information

Officer Dan Fisher

Phone: 321-409-7155 • Email: fished@pbfl.org

http://www.palmbayflorida.org
29SECTION III: AN OPERATIONAL RESPONSE: CITIZEN SUPPORT IN MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS

Agency Profile

■ County Population Served: 226,800

■ Sworn Employees: 223

■ Number of Registered Offenders: 397

■ Departmental Unit: Criminal Investigations Division

Assessing the Need

In 1997, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office (SLCSO) implemented a program for registering and

tracking sexual offenders and predators living in St. Lucie County. In 2005, after Florida passed the

Jessica Lunsford Act (JLA), the sheriff’s office entered into a memorandum of understanding with

the city police departments within St. Lucie County to further strengthen sex offender management

efforts. Under the JLA, county and local law enforcement agencies are required to conduct address

verifications of registered sex offenders “who are not under the care, custody, control, or supervision

of the Department of Corrections.” With sworn staff facing an increasing workload and

responsibilities, volunteer members of the SLCSO’s Reserve Officer Program were tapped to

provide valuable assistance, augmenting existing address verification efforts.

Operational Response

Reserve Officer Program

The SLCSO Reserve Officer Program has existed since 1960. Under the road patrol unit, reserve

officers are generally used for road patrol and traffic support. SLCSO Reserves represent a diverse

cross section of community; members include attorneys, prosecutors, and bank executives. Their

commitment level is high and they bring added skills to the sheriff’s office. Reserves have powers

of arrest, wear distinctive uniforms, and drive marked units.

Address Verification Checks

On a quarterly basis, the SLCSO and partnering agencies conduct large scale address verifications

of registered sex offenders. When these verifications occur, reserve officers are assigned by zones,

work in pairs, and receive a certain block of addresses to verify. They are supplied with a map, a

notification flier with a photo of the offender, and an address verification form. The reserve

officers record any witness statements, vehicles present, changes in the offender’s appearance, and

mark relevant changes or comments on the address verification form which is returned to the

detective in charge of the sex offender unit.

All reserves receive mandatory training but if they elect to participate with the verification

checks, they receive additional training. Safety precautions instruct reserve officers not to

approach any residence if they feel uncomfortable. The presence of both sworn and reserve

St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office (Florida)

Address Verifications: Augmenting Efforts 

and Increasing Consistency

State Sex Offender Registry: 

Florida Department of Law

Enforcement

http://www.floridasexoffender.net

Classification System: 

■ Sexual Predator

■ Sexual Offender 

Key Registration Components:

Offenders and predators must

register in person twice a year

(birth month and six months

following) to the local Sheriff’s

Office or FDLE office.
30MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

officers conducting these checks has helped the community see

that local law enforcement is working to hold offender’s accountable

and to monitor sex offenders in their community.

Lessons Learned

■ Ensuring that reserves understand sex offender registration

requirements is one important aspect of training. While they will

not be expected to know the law in detail, they must be familiar

with basic requirements.

■ Capturing as much information as possible from the registered

offender or neighbor is crucial for writing arrest warrants and

supporting failure to register prosecutions.

■ Agencies need to have a policy in place to support sex offender

management activities.

Contact Information

Detective Suzanne Woodward

Phone: 772-462-3620 • Email: woodwards@stluciesheriff.com

http://www.stluciesheriff.com/
31SECTION III: AN OPERATIONAL RESPONSE: CITIZEN SUPPORT IN MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS

Agency Profile

■ County Population Served: 220,000

■ Sworn Employees: 238 (not including jail deputies)

■ Number of Registered Sex Offenders: 1490 (564 in county, 926 in City)

■ Departmental Unit: Sexual Assault Unit-Investigative Division

Assessing the Need

The Sexual Assault Unit sergeant is responsible for Spokane County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) Sex

Offender Registration Program. To assist the agency with community notification requirements,

the office has drawn on its solid base of SCOPE (Sheriff Community Oriented Policing Effort)

volunteers to help disseminate community notification fliers.

Operational Response

Sheriff Community Oriented Policing Effort (SCOPE) Volunteers

SCOPE members are volunteers who perform and conduct a variety of services and safety

programs in partnership with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. Through this partnership,

various services are provided at fifteen different SCOPE stations embedded throughout the

community. Examples of services and programs include: business prowl checks, victim call backs,

incident response teams, Operation Family ID, Citizens on Patrol, and the dissemination of

community notification fliers.

The Sexual Assault Unit sergeant creates notification fliers for Level 2 and Level 3 registered sex

offenders. The fliers include:

■ Name, address, and physical description of the offender;

■ A photo;

■ Basic information about the offense;

■ Whether or not the offender is under any type of formal supervision; and

■ Basic information about the victim (age and gender).

When an offender moves into a neighborhood, notification fliers are given to the nearest SCOPE

station. In pairs of two, volunteers distribute the fliers in a two block radius of the offender’s

residence. Fliers are also handed out to neighboring schools, daycares, businesses, and organizations

that primarily serve children, women, and vulnerable adults.

Spokane County Sheriff’s Office (Washington)

Expanding Community Notification

State Sex Offender Registry: 

The registry is kept by the

Washington Association of

Sheriffs and Police Chiefs

(WASPC) through the

Washington State Patrol 

http://ml.waspc.org/

Classification System: 

■ Level 3 High Risk

■ Level 2 Moderate Risk

■ Level 1 Low Risk

Key Registration Components:

For all qualifying offenses, sex

offenders are required to register in person at the Sheriff’s

office in the county of their

residence. The duration of an

offender's duty to register is

based upon the original

offense.
32MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

Benefits

Community members have vocalized their appreciation of the sheriff’s

office notification efforts. The SCOPE volunteers are a visual extension

of the law enforcement presence in the neighborhoods; neighbors know

that they can approach the SCOPE volunteers with questions and ask

for information. Lastly, the department believes that disseminating

information to the public enforces the message to offenders that they

are being monitored.

Future Activities

The sergeant is considering using volunteers to assist with transferring

old paper files into a digital format; the digital files will help

increase the efficiency of the Sheriff’s registration, tracking, and

monitoring efforts.

Lessons Learned

■ The SCOPE volunteers are a visual extension of the law enforcement presence in the neighborhoods; neighbors know that they

can approach the SCOPE volunteers with questions and ask for

information.

Contact Information

Sergeant Dave Van Wormer

Phone: 509-477-6920 • Email: dvanwormer@spokanesheriff.org

http://www.spokanesheriff.org/
33SECTION II: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE FIELD: OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT EXECUTIVES

I

n January 2006, the Washington State Institute for Public

Policy released a series of reports that examined the

impact and effectiveness of the state’s current sex offender

sentencing policies.12 Noting the justice system complexity

surrounding sex offenders, these reports cover multiple

issues including measuring recidivism, community notification legislation, notification levels, and non-compliance

(i.e., failure to register). The study underscores the pressing

need for a much broader and extensive understanding of law

enforcement’s capability to effectively monitor and track sex

offenders in the community.

It is clear that law enforcement faces significant challenges

stemming from legislative changes that greatly increase the

number of registered sex offenders. Further, and perhaps

more important, these changes could impact the number

and probability of potential absconders. The IACP, in

partnership with the BJA, are working to understand these

challenges and to offer potential solutions.

Information gathered from our present effort provides a

glimpse into the policy and operational needs of the

field. To supplement this effort, the IACP will further

examine the role of law enforcement in managing sex

offenders. Our goal will be to assist law enforcement to

reduce disorder and victimization through an increased

ability to register, track, and monitor both registered and

unregistered sex offenders.

Through our continued and expanded efforts, the

IACP will:

■ Analyze the challenges facing state, local and tribal

law enforcement regarding sex offender management by:

■ Gauging our membership’s needs, challenges

and successes through a survey.

■ Conducting site visits to law enforcement agencies

employing leading approaches that have increased

their capacity to register, monitor, and track sex

offenders.

■ Convening a focus group with law enforcement

executives to address identified needs and provide

guidance on developing future resources and

products.

■ Partner with the American Probation and Parole

Association to examine innovative information sharing practices between police and correctional

agencies.

■ Create a model policy in partnership with IACP’s

National Law Enforcement Policy Center.

■ Develop and disseminate a second, and complementary, resource guide focused on highlighting

leading practice information.

As outlined in the Citizen Support and National Initiatives

sections, much has been accomplished at all levels of government to create better systems and strategies to monitor and

track sex offenders, but a rapidly changing landscape

dictates that more changes will occur. There is a need to

develop more interagency approaches and/or find alternative resources, such as citizen volunteers, to support law

enforcement’s mandated activities. As heightened awareness

continues to grow and as Federal, state and local governments begin to craft new or change existing sex offender

laws, it is evident that the role law enforcement can and

will be required to play is paramount.

SECTION IV

ASSISTANCE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT: ADDRESSING

CHALLENGES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS
34MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

SECTION V

NATIONAL INITIATIVES 

AND OTHER RESOURCE MATERIALS

The following section features national initiatives

that seek to increase law enforcement’s ability to

prevent, reduce, investigate, and prosecute crimes

committed by sex offenders. Many of these initiatives also

serve to educate the general public on the reality of sex

offenses and sex offenders and to offer proactive measures

that individuals, parents, and others can take to protect

themselves and their children.

■ Bureau of Justice Assistance, Comprehensive

Approaches to Sex Offender Management 

Discretionary Grant Program (CASOM)

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/

Since 2003, the CASOM program has provided funding to

help jurisdictions effectively manage sex offenders in the

community by implementing new or enhancing existing

programs that focus on increasing public safety and

reducing future victimization. Law enforcement agencies

are required partners for any organization receiving these

discretionary funds.

■ Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) National Sex 

Offender Registry Assistance Program (NSOR-AP)

Initially offered in 1998, this program was designed to

provide funding to help state sex offender registries

identify, collect, and properly disseminate relevant,

consistent, and accurate information to state and local

public safety entities.

■ Center for Sex Offender Management (CSOM)

http://www.csom.org/

Established in June 1997, CSOM is a collaborative effort

between the Office of Justice Programs, the National

Institute of Corrections, the State Justice Institute, and the

American Probation and Parole Association. CSOM’s goal

is “to enhance public safety by preventing further victimization through improving the management of adult and

juvenile sex offenders who are in the community.” The

organization offers a variety of resources on a wide range

of issues surrounding sex offender management. CSOM

offers a training curriculum focused on educating the

community about sex offender management. Publications

and resources are geared toward multiple stakeholders

involved in sex offender management nationwide.

■ Department of Homeland Security, Immigration 

and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Operation Predator

http://www.ice.gov

Since its creation in July 2003, Operation Predator has

arrested more than 6,500 child predators nationwide.13

Operation Predator focuses its investigative and enforcement efforts on safeguarding children from foreign national

sex offenders, human traffickers, international sex tourists,

and child pornographers. Some local police departments

work closely with Operation Predator agents. For example,

the El Paso Police Department’s Sex Offender Registration

and Tracking Unit works with Operation Predator agents in

support of their local agency efforts to monitor and track

sex offenders. For more information on the El Paso Police

Department’s SORT Unit, see the Current State of Practice:

Examples from Law Enforcement section.

■ International Association of Chiefs of Police, 

Volunteers in Police Service Program

http://www.policevolunteers.org

Since 2002, the IACP has managed the Volunteers in Police

Service (VIPS) Program in partnership with and on behalf

of the White House Office of the USA Freedom Corps and

BJA. The program’s goal is to enhance the capacity of state

and local law enforcement to utilize volunteers. The VIPS

Program offers law enforcement agencies training, technical

assistance, videos, publications, and other resources to

assist in establishing or expanding a law enforcement

volunteer program.

■ National Center for Missing 

and Exploited Children (NCMEC)

http://www.missingkids.com/

NCMEC is a non-profit organization that raises awareness

on preventing child abductions, molestation, and sexual

exploitation. This organization provides training and technical assistance to individuals and law enforcement agencies

in the prevention, investigation, prosecution, and treatment

of cases involving missing and sexually exploited children.
35SECTION II: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE FIELD: OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT EXECUTIVES

■ National Sex Offender Public Registry (NSOPR)

http://www.nsopr.gov

Launched on July 20, 2005 and coordinated by the Department of

Justice, the NSOPR is a cooperative effort between state and territory

public safety agencies hosting public sexual offender registries.

This searchable web site is a tool that allows anyone to obtain information about sex offenders through a number of search options.

All states are linked to the national registry. Future goals include

developing mapping capabilities, regional searches, and offering

radius searches by zip code.

■ Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

(OJJDP), Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task

Force Program

http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/

The OJJDP ICAC program helps state and local law enforcement

agencies develop effective responses to cyber enticement and child

pornography cases. This help encompasses forensic and investigative

components, training and technical assistance, victim services, and

community education.

■ United States Attorney General’s Office, 

Project Safe Childhood

http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/

Launched in May 2006, Project Safe Childhood is a federal initiative

designed to assist law enforcement and other community leaders to

develop a coordinated strategy to prevent, investigate, and prosecute

online sexual victimization of children. This initiative brings together

NCMEC, ICE, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service,

and other federal agencies.

End Notes

1. National Conference of State Legislatures. “Criminal Justice Report:

State Crime Legislation in 2005.” February 2006.

2. “State of the States: 2006 Policy Development and Trends: A

Stateline.org Report.” Gene Gibbons, Executive Editor.

Midatlantic Printers.

3. International Association of Chiefs of Police. “IACP Capitol Report.”

Vol 5, (7); May 11, 2006 and Vol 5, (8); August 3, 2006.

4. United States, Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.

“Summary of State Sex Offender Registries, 2001.” March 2002.

5. Devon B. Adams. United States, Department of Justice, Bureau of

Justice Statistics. “Summary of State Sex Offender Registry

Dissemination Procedures.” August 1999.

6. See Peter Finn. United States, Department of Justice, National Institute

of Justice. “Sex offender community notification.” February 1997.

See Richard Zevitz and Mary Ann Farkas. United States, Department

of Justice, National Institute of Justice. Sex offender community notification: Assessing the impact in Wisconsin.” December 2000.

See Washington State Institute for Public Policy. “Washington

State’s Community Notification Law: 15 Years of Change.”

www.wsipp.wa.gov/pub.asp?docid=06-02-1202. Reprinted on

August 1, 2006.

See Victoria Simpson Beck and Lawrence F. Traviss III. “Sex offender

notification: An exploratory assessment of state variation in notification

processes.” Journal of Criminal Justice. Vol 34; 2006. p.51–55.

See Center for Sex Offender Management. “An overview of sex

offender community notification practices: Policy implications and

promising approaches.” November 1997. http://www.csom.org

7. Detective Robert Schilling, Seattle Police Department, Washington.

“Sex offender management: Sex offender registration and community

notification.” Chapter from “The INTERPOL Handbook of Best

Practices.” The International Criminal Police Organization, Interpol.

Lyon, France; 2002.

8. See end note #6. Richard Zevitz and Mary Ann Farkas

9. Center for Sex Offender Management. “Managing sex offenders in the

community: A handbook to guide policymakers and practitioners

through a planning and implementation process.” April 2002.

10. Minnesota Department of Corrections. “Electronic monitoring of

sex offenders: 2006 report to the state legislature.” Reprinted May

2006 from http://www.doc.state.mn.us/publications/legislative

reports/documents/ElecMonofSO2006Report.pdf

11. State of Maryland. “Task Force to Study Criminal Offender

Monitoring by Global Positional Systems: Final Report to the

Governor and the General Assembly.” December 31, 2005.

Reprinted April 2006 from http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/publicinfo/

publications/pdfs/GPS_Task_Force_Final_Report.pdf

12. Washington State Institute for Public Policy. “Sex offenders in

Washington state: Key findings and trends.” March 2006.

http://www/wsipp.wa.gov/pub.asp?docid=06-03-1201.

13. United States, Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and

Customs Enforcement. “Operation Predator: Fact Sheet.” July 2003.

http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/factsheets/operationpredator.htm
36MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

RESOURCE MATERIALS

Baltimore County Police Department
37RESOURCE MATERIALS
38MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
39RESOURCE MATERIALS

Buffalo Police Department
40MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
41RESOURCE MATERIALS
42MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

Bellevue Police Department
43RESOURCE MATERIALS

Palm Bay Police Department
44MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office
45RESOURCE MATERIALS
46MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
47RESOURCE MATERIALS
48MANAGING SEX OFFENDERS: CITIZENS SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

International Association of Chiefs of Police

515 North Washington St, Alexandria, VA USA 22314 p: 703.836.6767/1.800.THE IACP www.theiacp.org