LAKE COUNTY — There were 264 registered sex offenders in Lake County as of December 2007, according to Santa Clara County Sheriff”s Department (SCCSD) grants and development manager Michelle Sandoval. According to Sgt. Blayn Persiani of the SCCSD, that number increased by one in 2007.
California law requires anyone convicted of certain sex crimes to register for the rest of their life with the law enforcement agency where they live.
Problems often arise when registrants move, have more than one residence or have no home. The Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Task Force was established in Northern California in February 2007 to address those problems.
John DeChaine, the prosecutor with the Lake County District Attorney”s Office assigned to sex crimes, said state law gives registrants five days to notify law enforcement of a move. When registrants have more than one home, the same restrictions apply.
“Other locations may have children ? it is critically important that the DA takes seriously a situation where someone claims to reside at one residence but in fact our investigation may reveal more than one residence where they regularly visit,” DeChaine said.
A homeless registrant who does not list a primary residence must re-register every 30 days, DeChaine said. Those listing a primary residence must re-register once a year.
The SAFE Task Force is the only one of its kind in California, according to Santa Clara County Sheriff Lauri Smith. Smith”s office applied for a grant from the Governor”s Office of Emergency Services in January 2007.
The following month, Region II ? spanning from Del Norte County on the Oregon border to as far south as Monterey County ? received a $953,250 grant and formed the SAFE Task Force.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
