Nevada’s most serious sex offenders will soon have to wear an ankle bracelet that monitors their whereabouts at all times.
Gov. Jim Gibbons signed the bill on Tuesday, though it does not take effect until Oct. 1. Officials are touting the measure as a much-needed boost to overburdened law enforcers, who presently consist of only 15 officers who regularly monitor an estimated 750 tier three sex offenders. Under the state’s category system, tier three sex offenders are considered the worst and most likely to reoffend
“It’s impossible for us to monitor our subjects 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” said Lt. Adam Page of the Nevada Department of Public Safety. “This will not tell us what a person is doing 24 hours a day, but it will tell us where they have been 24 hours a day.”
Convicted sex offenders who try to remove the bracelet will be greeted with an obnoxious alarm. Sex offenders can be fitted with the bracelets for a period of several years or even for the rest of their lives, officials said. Under the new law, playgrounds will be officially off-limits for such sex offenders. Tier-three offenders cannot live within 1,000 of a playground, school or community center.
Offenders will be asked to foot the bill for the bracelets, but if they are unable to afford it, taxpayers will bear the expense.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
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