GPS monitoring for sex predators?

OLYMPIA—Sen. Pam Roach (R-Sumner) is proposing the use of Global Position System (GPS) technology to monitor dangerous sex offenders, a move meant to ease growing concerns among Washington parents over housing—even losing—sex offenders near communities.

Roach also proposed limiting the location of transitional housing for sex offenders to industrial areas.

Earlier, parents raised concerns after the Department of Social and Health Services chose three potential sites to temporarily house sexual offenders. One of these sites is less than a mile from a Girl Scouts camp.

The state is required by law to place sexually violent predators in a transitional housing facility after they have served their sentences. Under the current system, sex offenders register with the sheriff of the county in which they live. The sheriff’s department then notifies citizens of the sex offender’s presence.

The sheriff’s department also monitors the sex offenders, placing particular emphasis on level 2 and 3 offenders of those likely to attack again.

As of January 10, Washington has 2,783 registered level 2 and 3 sex offenders. In Seattle, according to Roach, more than 20 percent of registered sex offenders cannot be located, ten of whom are classified as level 3 offenders.

“It is an outrage to learn that Seattle lost more than 260 sex offenders and 10 sexual predators,” Roach said while noting the public uproar over housing sex offenders among communities.

“We don’t want to live near a place that will house offenders of any kind,” Roach added. “In order to protect our families and communities, we not only need sex offenders to register with the sheriff’s department, we nee the instantaneous ability to determine the location of a sexual predator.”

Currently, the GPS technology to locate sex offenders is unavailable although electronic home monitoring is being used for many convicted criminals. The monitoring device, usually a bracelet, would notify authorities if the person is not in the home at required times.

Roach’s proposal would require sex offenders to wear electronic home monitoring technology until a GPS system could be used.

“It’s unsettling to thing we require convicted felons to be monitored daily, but we let dangerous sex offenders run rampant in our neighborhoods,” Roach said. “I want protection for our families and children. My first preference is to put sex offenders behind bars. However, today’s technology has given us a solution that enables us to protect vulnerable people from sex predators and at the same time allows sex offenders to be released back into the community.”

From the Washington State Senate, January 10

Reader Comments

Discuss this article in the forums!