MADISON, MILWAUKEE –
As part of Governor Doyle’s ongoing efforts to tighten the net around
sex offenders in Wisconsin, Governor Doyle today announced that law
enforcement authorities have located 17 of “Wisconsin’s Most Wanted
Sex Offenders.” Governor Doyle also announced that teams of retired
law enforcement and sex offender registry experts have tracked down
more than 850 sex offenders who have failed to comply with the state’s
sex offender registration law.
“Keeping our kids
and our communities safe is our top priority and a never-ending job,”
Governor Doyle said. “I applaud the efforts of law enforcement
officials, parents, teachers, and neighbors across the state who are
working together to tighten the net around sex offenders. Wisconsin
has cemented its status as a national leader in tracking down and
monitoring sex offenders, but there is still more work to do. We must
not rest until we’ve made it impossible for sex offenders to move
undetected through our neighborhoods.”
Wisconsin’s Most Wanted
“Wisconsin’s Most
Wanted”, a list of the most dangerous and elusive sex offenders in the
state, was launched in May as part of the Governor’s Sex Offender
Apprehension and Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Initiative. Developed by
Governor Doyle’s SAFE Task Force, a group of 15 top law enforcement
leaders from across the state, the offenders on the list were selected
based on a comprehensive set of criteria including seriousness of
offense, overall criminal history, history of complying with
registration rules, and other factors.
Information about
each offender is available on the Most Wanted web site,
www.mostwantedsexoffenders.wi.gov.
Today, Governor
Doyle directed the Department of Corrections to target 20 additional
dangerous and elusive sex offenders that meet the criteria for
“Wisconsin’s Most Wanted.” Governor Doyle again asked local law
enforcement, parents, teachers, and neighbors to view the information
on the web site and contact authorities with any information about
these individuals or their whereabouts.
Noncompliant Sex Offenders
The Governor also
announced today that 855 noncompliant sex offenders, including 520 who
committed crimes against juveniles, have been tracked down by SAFE
Teams, comprised of retired
law enforcement
professionals and sex offender registry specialists from the
Department of Corrections (DOC). The SAFE Teams work closely with law
enforcement agencies around the state to arrest and hold accountable
those sex offenders who try to become anonymous in our communities.
Coordination among
law enforcement agencies has forced more sex offenders into compliance
with
state law, raising the rate of compliance to 88 percent from 82
percent one year ago, when Governor Doyle first ordered a crackdown on
sex offenders who have not complied with the sex offender registry.
The average compliance rate nationally is 76 percent.
Regional
Cooperation
This spring, DOC
Secretary Matthew Frank convened the first-ever Midwest SAFE Summit
with four neighboring states to share ideas and best practices on
effective sex offender tracking and registry management. Since then,
Wisconsin has exchanged sex offender information with Illinois, Iowa,
Michigan and Minnesota, pioneering one of the first systems in the
country to share registry data electronically with neighboring states
on a regular basis.
Due to the
achievements of the SAFE Initiative, Wisconsin was one of only two
states in the country to earn a grade of “A” and the only Midwest
state to receive a grade higher than ‘D’ in a report issued earlier
this month by the national children’s advocacy group Parents for
Megan’s Law.
Citizens with any
information on the whereabouts of any of the most wanted sex offenders
should contact local law enforcement department or the “SAFE Tip”
hotline toll free at 1-877-234-0085 or via email at
docsafetips@doc.state.wi.us.
Calls will be answered by DOC staff Monday through Friday between 7:45
a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Citizens with any immediate concern for their
safety or the safety of a child are asked to call 911.
Learn more about
Governor Doyle’s SAFE Initiative at:
http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/journal_media_detail.asp?prid=1358&locid=19.
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08/10/2006
