After busting 55 unregistered sex offenders during a two-week operation, Cook County Sheriff Michael Sheahan on Tuesday called for changes in state laws to better track those targeted by the Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act.
“Many convicted sex offenders are thumbing their nose at state law and are refusing to register,” Sheahan said.
Sheahan was referring to the results of Project Predator, under which his agency, with help from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and several suburban police departments, tracked down about 1,000 sex offenders who told Illinois Department of Corrections officials they would live in suburban Cook County.
All but 125 had registered, were in jail or prison on new charges, were dead, had moved out of state, were deported or voluntarily left the country, said Sheahan.
Of those remaining, 55 were arrested during Operation Predator, which started Jan. 19 and lasted two weeks. Eleven of those arrested were either deported or face deportation hearings, Sheahan said. Police continue to look for the other 70.
Penalties for those convicted of failing to register include a minimum fine of $500 and up to 3 years in prison.
Under the current law, passed in 1993 and modified in 1995 convicted sex offenders have 10 days to register with the police departments of the communities in which they live.
The must re-register every year or if they move.
Illinois Department of Corrections officials notify state police when sex offenders are released, but they do not tell local police departments.
Sheahan’s proposed changes, filed Tuesday by state Rep. James Brosnahan (D-Evergreen Park), would require state corrections officials to notify the local police departments of the communities in which sex offenders plan to live. Fifteen days after each offender’s release, state corrections officials would verify the offender has registered. Arrest warrants would be issued for those who have not.
The changes also would require probation officials to verify sex offenders not sent to jail or prison register as required.
