More names on State Sex Offender Registry
By: Jenny Chu
Updated: July 23, 2007
Some people may be surprised to learn a sex offender is living in their neighborhood, but tonight the real surprise is how many. Hundreds of sex offenders are being added to the State's Sex Offender Registry. A law passed last year allows the State Sex Offender Registry to be expanded to now include the names and information of not only Level III Offenders, which are considered the highest risk, but Level II Offenders as well, those considered at moderate risk.
Recently, about 800 Level II sex offenders have been added to the State registry. So now when you log onto the State website, you'll see more names joining the list of Level III offenders.
"There's a sex offender everywhere,” said Officer Bob Jobe, the Sex Offender Registry Coordinator for the Rochester Police Department.
In the City of Rochester alone, he handles more than 600 cases.
"The intention of the law was never for the police department to be the sole repository of information. The idea is we're kind of the catalyst. We give the information out to the community and then the community keeps an eye on these guys and reports activity to us," said Jobe.
Under the law, a judge determines a convicted sex offender's risk to offend again by basing it on whether violence or a weapon was used, whether there were multiple victims and whether the victim was younger than 16 or older than 62. The judge will then decide if the offender is a Level I for low risk, Level II for moderate risk and Level III for high risk.
"It's good to know just so if there's someone in the neighborhood, you can have a watchful eye on your children and make sure they don't go near the house and that the community is keeping an eye on that person's activities," said Pam Weaver, Coordinator of Community Education for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Rochester.
Police say Level I offenders could also be added to the list soon.
Click here for the Division of Criminal Justice Services website.
Click here for the map of sex offenders living in your area.
