Violent offenders living in Wisconsin may have to register in an online database if legislation introduced Tuesday becomes law.

Rep. Frank Boyle, D-Superior; Rep. Suzanne Jeskewitz, R-Menomonee Falls; and Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, drafted the legislation when approached by a group of people closely related to Leah Gustafson, a Superior woman brutally murdered by a neighbor with a history of violent offenses.

The proposed legislation, called "Leah's Law" after a group with the same name, has been lobbying for information about violent offenders to be available to the public ever since Gustafson's murder last year.

"Most of the credit for this bill should go to the group," Suder said.

Similar to Wisconsin's Sex Offender Registry, the Violent Offender Registry would create a publicly accessible website with information including where violent offenders live, where they work and crimes they have committed.

The state decides which crimes are deemed "violent," but according to Suder, the list includes murder, arson and carjacking.

Once released from prison, felons would be automatically registered into the database. But according to Boyle, keeping the registry updated might be a problem.

"Hopefully the parole officer for the offender would provide the registry update," Boyle said. "We've got ways to track [violent offenders] down, but that's not to say a lot of people won't slip through the cracks."

The task of creating and maintaining the database would be left to the Department of Corrections. One-time felons would be required to put their names in the registry for 15 years and felons with multiple offenses would remain in the registry for life.

"[The bill] is not saying that [violent offenders] can't have a job or enjoy the lifestyle they choose," Suder said. "If they are out of jail, they are getting a second chance."

For Suder and Boyle, the bottom line is public safety.

"The community has a right to know that a person who has committed serious crimes is living in their community," Suder said. "The awareness, I think, will allow community members to better protect themselves and their families."

Boyle added if the state can prevent one more death like Gustafson's, “the bill will be worth it."

But Capt. Chad LaLour, investigations division commander at the Superior Police Department, said it might be difficult to constantly keep the registry up to date.

"As a law enforcer, I am concerned with how it will be maintained. Who is going to track these people down and make sure they are registered?" LaLour asked. "I'm not saying it's a useless tool, but the effectiveness will be determined by how many people use it."

Both Boyle and Suder have received bipartisan support for "Leah's Law" and are hopeful it will pass through the Assembly and Senate in the near future.

"If [the violent offenders] don't like it, too bad," Suder said. "Community safety trumps their inconvenience."