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Norm Maleng gives an excellent rational for why local governments have the responsibility for enacting <br />laws to protect its citizens. Norm Maleng served as King County, Washington's Prosecuting Attorney and has <br />been recognized as a leader in reforming Washington's criminal justice system. He points out that the local <br />community has different public safety priorities than the criminal justice system. He writes, "While the public <br />and the State legislatures treat sex offenders as a high priority, the criminal justice system frequently sets <br />different priorities." Maleng recognizes the function the local government has in protecting its citizens. <br />Recognizing the danger convicted child molesters present, the State of California passed a law prohibiting a <br />child molester on parole from living within '/4 mile of a school (PC 3003). <br />Restricting sex registrants from loitering around locations where children congregate is a logical, fact based <br />effort to prevent future victimization of children. The data confirms that sex offenders are the most likely group <br />to reoffered and when they do reoffered, the evidence shows their victims are likely to be children. The more a <br />subject has been arrested for prior crimes including sex offences, the more likely they are to reoffered. After a <br />sex registrant completes probation or parole, the only supervision they receive is their annual address update at <br />Che police deparhnent unless they move during the year. Tn that case, the registrant must report to the police <br />deparhnent within 5 days of the move. With approximately 380 sex offenders living in the City of Santa Ana, <br />there is no practical way to actively supervise this many individuals. <br />By notifying sex registrants that they are in violation of the law by loitering around locations where children <br />congregate, they are made aware that any actions they take to get near child can no longer be done with <br />anonymity. Additionally, we give the patrol officer a valuable tool to participate in the supervision of the sex <br />registrant while protecting the community from sexual predators. Sex registrants on parole and probation are <br />beginning to be required to wear GPS (global positioning satellite) tracking devices. Detectives will be able to <br />review where sex registrants have been and if they have spent any unexplained time loitering near parks and <br />schools. <br />• Page 3 <br />11 A-3 <br />