SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — A day after a panel of law enforcement experts called for a repeal to parts of current sex offender legislation, some local law enforcement officials said they believe the law is working as intended.
On Thursday, a law enforcement panel recommended in a report that California voters repeal the residency restrictions for sex offenders because too many are listed as transient, making them more difficult to monitor.
Jessica’s Law, passed by 70 percent of California voters in 2006, prohibits released sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school or park.
But some local law enforcement officials told Action News that Jessica’s Law is doing what it’s supposed to, which is monitoring sex offender parolees with GPS tracking systems.
In Santa Cruz, there are 118 people registered as a sex offender, and of those, 34 are also listed being a transient.
Katrina Rogers, a detective with the Santa Cruz Police Department, said she believes homeless sex offenders are easily tracked, and repealing a portion of Jessica’s Law would prevent police from doing its job.
The author of Jessica’s Law, state Sen. George Runner, also said the law is working. Runner added that the law enforcement panel said the use of GPS devices and increasing penalties for some sex crimes should remain in place.
“The only issue they’ve come to deal with is the issue of the distancing in regard to sex offender matter,” Runner said.
The residency restriction means there are few places the offenders can legally live in many communities. That forces many of them to move frequently, making it difficult for agents to track their whereabouts.
The 17-page report said 2,100 offenders have become transient since voters approved the law. More than a third of paroled offenders are now transient, a 750 percent increase since the law took effect.
“Homeless sex offenders put the public at risk. These offenders are unstable and more difficult to supervise,” the draft says.
Runner said making changes to Jessica’s Law, however, would be a tough sell to voters.
