Owens Orders Arrests Of Unregistered Offenders

CBI Say 96 Percent Of Sex Offenders Have Registered

Concerned that about 300 sex offenders cannot be located, Gov. Bill Owens issued an executive order Thursday setting up a task force to track down and arrest those who have not registered.

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The task force of corrections officials, judges, the attorney general and police must also streamline local sex offender registries kept by 340 police and sheriff's agencies throughout the state. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation said that more than 96 percent of convicted sex offenders have registered with the agency as required by a law that took effect July 1. The agency said that it knows of 8,421 convicted sex offenders in the state and has verified that more than 8,100 are registered, CBI spokesman Mike Igoe said Thursday. He said the agency was hoping to complete verification of the list by the end of this month. The state Supreme Court ruled last year that some sex offenders were wrongly sentenced to lengthy parole terms by the wrong statute. Last month, the court voted 4-3 not to rehear arguments on two cases affected by the ruling. The decision affects more than 1,500 sex offenders. Parole officers across Colorado told 155 sex offenders that they no longer are on parole. Department of Corrections officials also began releasing 116 sex offenders who violated parole that they not have served. Sex offender home -- but he's not there

Owens said that of the 71 offenders released last week, "a significant number have failed to register with local law enforcement authorities." "This same court ruling threatens to intensify the problem in the months and years ahead," he said in his order. Attorney General Ken Salazar had asked departments around the state to determine if sex offenders had registered, and only 60 percent of the departments reported back. Salazar said the state had no authority to order departments to go out and find them. Owens spokesman, Dick Wadhams, said the governor was disappointed. "He's disappointed there are sex offenders who are not following the law or giving false information," Wadhams said.

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Under the new law, the names and photos of offenders who have not registered or whose registration has not been confirmed will be posted on the Internet. State law requires sex offenders to register with local authorities within 72 hours of their release. Residents can obtain their names, ages and addresses at local departments. Salazar said in a letter Thursday to state law enforcement offices that sex offenders recently released by the Department of Corrections may have provided false information on their whereabouts. "This truly is a public safety issue that I believe requires prioritization," Salazar said. A 7NEWS investigation, after knocking on dozens of doors, found that even the addresses provided by some sex offenders are wrong. Some offenders move without reporting their new address, or give an invalid address. In a letter to top cops all over Colorado, the attorney general detailed their responsibility to enforce the law. Owens ordered the task force to verify residential addresses, and come up with potential legislation to strengthen the state's registry system. Colorado Springs Police Lt. Skip Arms said his department will need about three months to finish checking on 3,000 registered sex offenders in that city. In Fort Collins, police said their lists are updated periodically and the addresses of about 120 registered sex offenders are accurate. In 2000, 24 people were arrested for failing to register or change their address, spokeswoman Rita Davis said. More Information: