Gov. Jim Doyle announced Thursday that state law enforcement has located more than 1,000 previously non-compliant sex offenders, also addressing further progress of his initiative to crack down on sex crimes.
Doyle started the Sex Offender Apprehension Felony Enforcement Initiative in September 2005 to address the number of unregistered sex offenders in the state and bring them into compliance with state registering. Since the initiative began, law enforcement agencies have increased the rate of sex-offender compliance from 82 percent to 88 percent. The national average is 76 percent.
"Broadly speaking, the governor attributes this to excellent law enforcement in this state," Doyle spokesperson Matt Canter said. "The SAFE initiative greatly expanded information sharing, giving the public the tools they need to help law enforcement, and that has been key."
The SAFE initiative created the SAFE Task Force, a group of 15 law enforcement leaders from across Wisconsin, to coordinate accountability and apprehension efforts with SAFE Teams, groups of retired law enforcement officials and sex offender registry specialists from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
"When someone falls out of compliance and they are referred for prosecution, the SAFE Team steps in to look for tips, pursue leads and connect the dots for law enforcement," said John Dipko, public information director for the DOC. "They then pass that information along to law enforcement to apprehend that individual."
The SAFE Initiative also created the SAFE Tip hotline, directed the DOC to use Global Positioning Systems to track offenders convicted of serious sex crimes and required the public website containing sex offender information to include their residential addresses.
The newest revision, announced Thursday, outlines a directive for the DOC to include on its sex-registry website adults considered dangerous who were convicted of sex crimes as juveniles.
Of the latest sex offenders brought into compliance, 26 were from a list of "Wisconsin's Most Wanted" sex offenders.
Doyle released the "most wanted" list in May, which included 38 of the most dangerous sex offenders in the state and asked for help to track them down. Doyle added 21 new names to the list Thursday.
"[With the most wanted list], not only are we able to highlight for the public dangerous repeat offenders that they should be aware of, but it sets priorities for law enforcement across the state to find these [offenders]," Canter said.
Making the announcement at the Brown Deer Police Station, Doyle also said of the 1,019 non-compliant sex offenders located since the implementation of his initiative, 616 had committed sex crimes against juveniles.
Luke Punzenberger, spokesperson for gubernatorial challenger U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Wis., said Green has also championed legislation to protect children from sexual offenders.
"Mark Green has been a consistent advocate of stiff penalties for sex offenders," Punzenberger said. "You're not going to find a stronger advocate for protecting kids than Mark Green."
Green authored legislation at both the state and federal level to put sexual predators in prison for life upon second offense.
Green will face Doyle in the upcoming general election Nov. 7.
