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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 2 OcTOber 2018

Whereabouts of almost 1,300 Missouri sex offenders unknown

By JIM SALTER sex offenders committed
Associated Press additional crimes.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Police don't However, other states
know the whereabouts have had similar problems
of nearly 1,300 registered with keeping up with
sex offenders in Missouri, sex offenders. A state
including hundreds who fall analysis in August found
into the most dangerous that Wisconsin didn't have
category, according to current information on 2,735
a state audit released offenders. A 2017 audit in
Monday. Massachusetts found no
Missouri law requires address on file for nearly
convicted sex offenders 1,800 of the state's more
to register their names, than 13,000 registered sex
addresses and other offenders.
information with their The registration requirement
county law enforcement, law took effect in Missouri
most often the sheriff's in 1995 and was updated
department. The Missouri this year to classify sex
State Highway Patrol offenders into three tiers.
maintains a publicly The most dangerous sex
available database. offenders are listed in
Offenders must keep their Tier III for offenses that
information up-to-date and include rape, sodomy or
notify law enforcement first- or second-degree
when they move. child molestation. Those
The audit released by state offenders must register with
Auditor Nicole Galloway local police every 90 days
says 1,259 sex offenders for the rest of their lives.
are unaccounted for — Galloway said the audit
about 8 percent of the found that at least 794
nearly 16,000 registered of the non-compliant
sex offenders in Missouri — offenders met the criteria
and it blames inadequate for Tier III. She singled out
enforcement of the St. Louis, where 197 of the
registration requirement 244 unaccounted for sex
at the local level. In 14 offenders fall into the most
counties and the city of St. dangerous category. In this Aug. 17, 2018, file photo, Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway appears in Sedalia, Mo.
Louis, the whereabouts of The audit showed the Associated Press
more than 10 percent of problem persists in places
sex offenders is unknown. large and small. Stoddard seeking comment from important," she said. and for helping local
Galloway said the findings County in rural southeast officials in St. Louis and the Failure to comply with police enforce registration
are "disturbing and Missouri had the highest counties with the highest registration requirements is requirements. A highway
alarming." rate of unaccounted for rates of unaccounted a felony. The audit found patrol spokesman did not
"As it stands the sex offender sex offenders, 25.2 percent, for offenders were not that less than 10 percent immediately respond to a
registry really provides a followed by Jackson immediately returned. of noncompliant offenders phone message seeking
false sense of security," County, which includes But Galloway said law had an active arrest comment.
Galloway said at a news Kansas City, at 20.7 enforcement officials often warrant against them. Galloway also encouraged
conference in St. Louis. percent. Butler County, also cite a lack of resources. In addition to urging strong the Legislature to strengthen
Galloway said the audit did in southeast Missouri, was She acknowledged that control at the local level, the state law to require
not compare compliance third-worst at 20 percent, understaffed police the audit cites a need background checks for
rates in Missouri with followed by St. Louis city at agencies face an uphill for the highway patrol to school volunteers, and to
other states, nor did it 19.3 percent. battle in maintaining the improve procedures for allow her office to access
examine if non-compliant Phone and email messages registry. "But this is critically maintaining the database all court records.q