Dina Titus Applauds Passage Of Measure To Track Sex Offenders

Dina Titus Applauds Passage Of Measure To Track Sex Offenders

July 28, 2006

Democratic gubernatorial front-runner Senator Dina Titus today commended Congress and President Bush for passage of federal legislation that will expedite Nevada's efforts to track sex offenders using global positioning satellite (GPS) devices.

"We in Nevada have cracked down on child sexual predators and other sex offenders by toughening our laws, including better tracking of sex offenders," Titus said. "This federal law will give us more of the tools we need to carry out our state laws -- so there is literally no place for sex offenders to hide."

The measure passed by Congress and signed yesterday by President Bush provides funding for states to track pedophiles using GPS devices. The Nevada Department of Public Safety has begun a pilot program using ankle bracelets and a GPS system to monitor six released sex offenders in Clark County. Dina Titus has said she would seek an appropriation from the 2007 Nevada Legislature extending the tracking program to all 600 sex offenders in Clark County who are subject to lifetime supervision, as well as all others statewide.

"We have already taken the initiative in requiring sex offenders to register and establishing a state web site allowing parents and others to know where sex offenders live," Dina Titus said. "I will aggressively pursue this federal funding to first target child sex predators in establishing a GPS tracking system."

Dina Titus sponsored successful legislation in 2005, SB 341, which improves community notification when a released sex offender moves into a neighborhood; requires sex offenders to renew their driver's licenses annually so law enforcement could keep better track of them; requires sex offenders to consent to warrantless searches as a condition of probation; and requires a thorough psychosexual examination by experts to determine if an offender is a high risk to re-offend, before that offender can be considered for parole.

Dina Titus has proposed additional measures, including a prohibition against sex offenders living near schools and parks, and felony prosecution of sex offenders who violate conditions of their supervision.

"With this extra help from the federal government, we can move more quickly to make Nevada's neighborhoods safer," Dina Titus said.

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