feel good story (sarcastic)
Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:46 am
doesn't this leave you with warm fuzzies all over?
Sex offenders scattered across country after Hurricane Katrina
By TRISTAN SCOTT of the Missoulian
When Hurricane Katrina laid siege to the Gulf Coast in August, it scattered entire populations - including a number of registered sex offenders.
In Mississippi and Louisiana, more than 4,500 sex offenders have relocated, and they're beginning to pop up across the country.
And while sex offenders are required by law to maintain an address with local law agencies, many have disappeared and are out of compliance with their parole, probation or registry requirements.
New Orleans had more than 1,300 registered sex offenders, while its surrounding parishes had another 400. At least 3,500 were registered in Mississippi.
According to a spokesman from Verified Person, a company that offers pre-employment background screening and can track sex offenders, less than half of the displaced offenders have reregistered.
”We've been able to identify at least 3,000 noncompliant individuals,“ said Tal Moise, CEO of Verified Person. ”The exact number may or may not be higher.“
Verified Person was founded two years ago by Moise and John Sculley, former CEO of Apple Computer. The company provides background screening and identity verification services for retail stores and other industry organizations.
Tracking individuals by searching an expansive database of public records, the service looks for changes in the status of public records - such as a change of address - and then alerts the appropriate authorities.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the company started offering its services to state and local law enforcement agencies free of charge.
”There is always movement with sex offenders, but this is a mass exodus because of the recent tragedy, and one of the largest in history that can be found,“ Moise said. ”State and local agencies need to take a proactive stance on keeping their citizens informed.“
And while Missoula County Sheriff Mike McMeekin wasn't aware of the free service, he said no displaced sex offenders have surfaced here that he knows about.
McMeekin said one of his detectives is solely responsible for maintaining the county's sex offender registry - a task that makes up the bulk of his workload.
”If we get information that we have a sex offender or a violent offender in the area, we track him down,“ McMeekin said.
Verified Person costs law enforcement agencies that want nationwide notification, instead of just the offenders who were part of the storm-related evacuation.
But Moise said the paid-subscription cost pales compared to the time and manpower it saves.
”The cost involved in this is nominal,“ Moise said. ”Compared to the amount of work it takes law enforcement agencies to locate five or 10 sex offenders, we can locate hundreds.“
According to Rod Ostermiller, the chief deputy U.S. marshal in Montana, local law enforcement has maintained a close working relationship with agencies patrolling the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast.
”We have not received any collateral leads from New Orleans, but if something comes up, we can assist them in tracking down wanted sex offenders or felons,“ Ostermiller said.
Sex offenders are required to register with the chief of police, sheriff or campus police upon changing residence or location.
But that means it's up to the sex offender to disclose his or her whereabouts.
”I pose the question to you,“ Moise said. ”Why is noncompliance so high? Because only by my telling you that I'm here will you ever know.“
Verified Person draws on data from hundreds of different sources to triangulate the area of an offender, compiling information from post offices, criminal records and even utility companies.
But Don Hines, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshal Service in Louisiana, said another part of the problem is the lack of communication services.
”A lot of these people are bust-out,“ Hines said. ”Once they went to a shelter, they couldn't even contact anyone to register.“
While the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations identified about 150 offenders who could be dangerous, Hines said authorities have found more than 70 percent of that list.
”They've been found all across the United States,“ Hines said.
In New Orleans, police were looking for 11 sex offenders who may pose a threat and have not reregistered.
But noncompliance is always high, Moise said, with some studies suggesting that 40 percent of sex offenders cannot be located at any given time.
”In the state of California, nearly 40 percent of sex offenders are not registered and their location is unknown,“ Moise said. ”Having built this tool, we've seen the sheer power it can bring. It's the most complete sex offender screening possible.“
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Sex offenders scattered across country after Hurricane Katrina
By TRISTAN SCOTT of the Missoulian
When Hurricane Katrina laid siege to the Gulf Coast in August, it scattered entire populations - including a number of registered sex offenders.
In Mississippi and Louisiana, more than 4,500 sex offenders have relocated, and they're beginning to pop up across the country.
And while sex offenders are required by law to maintain an address with local law agencies, many have disappeared and are out of compliance with their parole, probation or registry requirements.
New Orleans had more than 1,300 registered sex offenders, while its surrounding parishes had another 400. At least 3,500 were registered in Mississippi.
According to a spokesman from Verified Person, a company that offers pre-employment background screening and can track sex offenders, less than half of the displaced offenders have reregistered.
”We've been able to identify at least 3,000 noncompliant individuals,“ said Tal Moise, CEO of Verified Person. ”The exact number may or may not be higher.“
Verified Person was founded two years ago by Moise and John Sculley, former CEO of Apple Computer. The company provides background screening and identity verification services for retail stores and other industry organizations.
Tracking individuals by searching an expansive database of public records, the service looks for changes in the status of public records - such as a change of address - and then alerts the appropriate authorities.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the company started offering its services to state and local law enforcement agencies free of charge.
”There is always movement with sex offenders, but this is a mass exodus because of the recent tragedy, and one of the largest in history that can be found,“ Moise said. ”State and local agencies need to take a proactive stance on keeping their citizens informed.“
And while Missoula County Sheriff Mike McMeekin wasn't aware of the free service, he said no displaced sex offenders have surfaced here that he knows about.
McMeekin said one of his detectives is solely responsible for maintaining the county's sex offender registry - a task that makes up the bulk of his workload.
”If we get information that we have a sex offender or a violent offender in the area, we track him down,“ McMeekin said.
Verified Person costs law enforcement agencies that want nationwide notification, instead of just the offenders who were part of the storm-related evacuation.
But Moise said the paid-subscription cost pales compared to the time and manpower it saves.
”The cost involved in this is nominal,“ Moise said. ”Compared to the amount of work it takes law enforcement agencies to locate five or 10 sex offenders, we can locate hundreds.“
According to Rod Ostermiller, the chief deputy U.S. marshal in Montana, local law enforcement has maintained a close working relationship with agencies patrolling the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast.
”We have not received any collateral leads from New Orleans, but if something comes up, we can assist them in tracking down wanted sex offenders or felons,“ Ostermiller said.
Sex offenders are required to register with the chief of police, sheriff or campus police upon changing residence or location.
But that means it's up to the sex offender to disclose his or her whereabouts.
”I pose the question to you,“ Moise said. ”Why is noncompliance so high? Because only by my telling you that I'm here will you ever know.“
Verified Person draws on data from hundreds of different sources to triangulate the area of an offender, compiling information from post offices, criminal records and even utility companies.
But Don Hines, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshal Service in Louisiana, said another part of the problem is the lack of communication services.
”A lot of these people are bust-out,“ Hines said. ”Once they went to a shelter, they couldn't even contact anyone to register.“
While the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations identified about 150 offenders who could be dangerous, Hines said authorities have found more than 70 percent of that list.
”They've been found all across the United States,“ Hines said.
In New Orleans, police were looking for 11 sex offenders who may pose a threat and have not reregistered.
But noncompliance is always high, Moise said, with some studies suggesting that 40 percent of sex offenders cannot be located at any given time.
”In the state of California, nearly 40 percent of sex offenders are not registered and their location is unknown,“ Moise said. ”Having built this tool, we've seen the sheer power it can bring. It's the most complete sex offender screening possible.“
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