No-show sex offenders frustrate law officers
Many of the state’s nearly 7,000 sex offenders have failed to meet a Sept. 1 deadline to register under a new law, frustrating some authorities who must eventually track them down.
“I’ve got about 140 sex offenders on a list provided by the state,” said Lt. Myles Howard of the Bradley County Sheriff’s Department. “So far we’ve had 36 come in and register.”
The state’s old sex offender registry law called for parolees convicted of sexual offenses to register with authorities within 10 days of changing addresses, taking a new job, enrolling in school or moving out of state.
The new law, which took effect last month, requires parolees to register with authorities either once a year or every 90 days, depending on whether they are classified as a “sexual offender” or as a “violent sexual offender.”
There are 6,853 registered sex offenders in the state, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Those that don’t come forward face felony charges, and that can mean a lot of work for police departments, sheriff’s offices and parole agencies in the state that have to go after offenders and arrest them.
“They have put this off on us,” said McMinn County Sheriff Steve Frisbie. “It was the state’s responsibility, and now they’ve sort of put it in our lap.”
TBI spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson said it’s “no excuse” for offenders not to be registered, and the agency plans to help law enforcement where possible.