The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has started a Web site that allows the public to identify and track sex offenders who have not registered as required. The Minnesota Predatory Offender Registry has 264 of the more than 1,000 sexual predators who are more than 30 days late in complying with state law and registering with local law enforcement, the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Offenders must update their information each year. Hndreds of others who could be added in coming weeks if they do not register.
Minnesota is the latest state to offer an expanded online database to track a variety of sex offenders. While states such as Wisconsin and Iowa list all of their registered sex offenders –more than 25,000 between the two states — Minnesota has decided to be more limited, said Michael Campion, state public safety commissioner. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea to list everybody,” Campion said of the state’s total of more than 17,000 sex offenders. “The incentive is, ‘I don’t want my picture on there, I’ll be compliant.’ ” On the new site, offenders can be tracked by name, city, or ZIP code. The information includes the offender’s name, picture, distinguishing marks, last known address, and offense tendencies.