According to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, the rise in fugitive sex offenders who are currently in California is higher than initially thought. Data shows that there was a 65% in the amount of sex offenders in the state from October 2011 to January 1st, 2013. Most of these fugitive sex offenders were once tracked by GPS systems but have since gone missing. Previous reports showed that there were about 30% more fugitive sex offenders in the area since October 2011, but the new research shows that over double that amount of sex offenders are currently hiding out in the state.
About 5,000 warrants for arrest have been issued since October 2011. While authorities say that most sex offenders are caught relatively quickly after they do missing, there is no data that can support this assertion. Still, authorities say that they have special fugitive apprehension teams who are saddled with the task of aggressively tracking and arresting parolees.
Oftentimes, these parolees that go missing are in counties where jails are relatively crowded. As a result, the police allow the sex offenders out on parole, and then re-arrest them if they do not follow orders. Still, the re-arrested offenders are not typically forced to stay in custody long. One senator in California recently used this data in his campaign when he introduced a bill which would make it a felony punishable by prison time for a parolee to remove his or her electric monitors.
This would minimize the amount of sex offenders within the United State that are not in custody at present. California has the largest criminal GPS monitoring system in the nation, and tracks more than 7,000 sex offenders with this method. Unfortunately, many are now removing their ankle monitoring systems and becoming fugitives as a result. If you have been accused of breaking parole or of a sex crime, a lawyer at Diamond & Associates may be able to help you. You will want a Los Angeles criminal lawyer to help you with your case today if you believe that you are in danger of being re-arrested or convicted of a serious crime.
