Sheriff Seeking Team to Monitor Sexual Offenders

Taking an aggressive stance on enforcement of the state’s Megan’s Law, the Sheriff’s Department wants to create a special investigative team that will monitor--and in some cases conduct surveillance on--hundreds of paroled or freed sexual offenders living in Orange County.

If the sheriff’s proposal is approved by county supervisors next week, the team will keep track of registered sex offenders living in the nine cities and unincorporated areas patrolled by the department, as well as get in touch with neighbors, co-workers and others to make sure offenders abide by the terms of the law.

If the department determines that the surrounding community should be notified about a “high-risk” offender, the team will inform nearby residents in person, rather than posting community warning signs as other police departments have done.

“This personal notification will serve to prevent the community hysteria that has occurred when group notification has been made in other communities,” according to a Sheriff’s Department report released Wednesday.

Megan’s Law, named after a New Jersey girl who was murdered by a paroled sex offender who moved into her neighborhood, allows police to notify neighbors about convicted sex offenders living nearby if authorities believe the offender poses a danger to the community.

But the California law, one of the many that states rushed to adopt in the wake of the New Jersey girl’s death, gives police agencies wide latitude in deciding when to make such notifications. This discretion has resulted in widely varying enforcement of the law from one city to the next.

Since the law took effect in January, police in Newport Beach, Placentia, Orange and Fullerton have made such notifications, which prompted residents to hold protest demonstrations and form groups aimed at forcing the relocation of the sex offenders.

There are about 3,700 registered sex offenders living in Orange County, including 77 that the Department of Justice classified as being at “high risk” of committing more sex crimes. About 335 registered offenders live in areas patrolled by the Sheriff’s Department, including 259 “serious” offenders and 11 “high-risk” offenders, according to the county report.

The Sheriff’s Department said its sex crimes unit cannot handle the special monitoring required under Megan’s Law, and that a Sexual Offenders Notification and Registration (SONAR) team should be formed to focus on the offenders.

The sheriff’s plan appears to be one of the most ambitious, given that most local police agencies are relying on existing staffing to handle the extra workload.

The proposal calls for the hiring of two new investigators, who would meet with the offenders, confirm their employment information and “determine the probability of re-offending,” the report stated.

“Investigators will also conduct surveillance as necessary to monitor the behavior of offenders,” the proposal states.

“We consider this a serious problem,” Sheriff’s Lt. Ron Wilkerson said. “‘We will do everything without violating the offender’s rights, and to make sure he is complying with the laws.”

Megan’s Law has been criticized by some civil libertarians--and a few police officers--for causing panic in some communities. The Sheriff’s Department hopes to avoid any “hysteria” by having investigators notify neighbors and nearby schools and businesses in person rather than by simply hanging warning signs.

“We want to do this in as responsible a way as possible,” Wilkerson said.

The SONAR team will cost about $220,000, including the salaries of two investigators, a vehicle and other equipment costs.

The Sheriff’s Department patrols most South County cities as well as Stanton, Villa Park and all unincorporated areas.

* TEEN KIDNAPPED

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