Michigan police have lost track of more than 2,400 convicted sex offenders who moved and failed to report their new addresses within 10 days as required by law, reports the Detroit News.The offenders are listed on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry so residents can keep tabs on offenders in their neighborhoods. They could face additional four-year felony charges for ducking under the police radar screen. In addition, 5,941 other sex offenders failed to confirm their addresses to local police agencies and may — or may not — be staying where police think they are.
President Beth Morrison of HAVEN, Oakland County’s sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse counseling center, says, “One of the pieces we always strive for in our work is holding perpetrators accountable, and it’s hard to hold them accountable if you don’t know where they are.” The Sex Offender Registry, created in 1994, listed a record 37,916 offenders as of Nov. 3. The number grows by an average of 200 each month, according to state officials. Shanon Akans, a spokeswoman for the state police, which maintains the Sex Offender Registry, said the state does not provide money to help local police departments track down wayward sex offenders. “(The registry) is a priority, but one of many police priorities,” Akans said.
Link: http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/0511/08/A01-375654.htm