Information in the state’s sex offender registry is often out-of-date and inaccurate, Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan said Wednesday as she announced the formation of a team to review the registry and determine how to improve it.
Of the state’s estimated 16,000 convicted sex offenders, 13 percent, or about 2,000, have not complied with state law that requires they register with the state yearly and notify local law enforcement officials when they move, Madigan said.
And although the state and some county and municipal law enforcement agencies maintain their own sex offender registry Web sites, which are supposed to allow anyone to check up on sex offenders, information on the site is often conflicting, she said.
“The reality is, some of them do not [register,]” Madigan said. “We recognize that the sex offender registry in Illinois is not perfect, and we are committed to solving the problems that currently exist.”
The Illinois Sex Offender Registry Team is composed of leaders from Madigan’s office, the Chicago Police Department, the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, the Illinois Department of Corrections, Illinois State Police, Illinois Chiefs of Police and the Fraternal Order of Police.
The team will evaluate how sex offenders are tracked by departments across the state and will determine how law enforcement agencies can better work together to keep the sex offender registry up to date, officials said.
“What we’re looking for here is best practices. What’s working Downstate that we can adopt here. What’s working in Chicago that can be adopted by the rest of the state,” said Chicago Police Supt. Philip Cline. “I think that’s the key here, getting the best practices.”
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The Chicago Police Department has a sex offender registry unit with six officers who focus on registering sex offenders and tracking them, said Cline. The city has registered an estimated 5,000 sex offenders, and its registry is updated daily, he said. “But there’s always more that we can do to make sure this information is accurate,” he said.
One fault in the current system is the state’s registry Web site has out-of-date information on sex offenders who do not re-register either yearly or when they move, Madigan said. Madigan said she will propose that all of the registry Web sites identify non-compliant offenders and note that their addresses may not be current.
“When we find somebody who is non-compliant, [we will] put that information up on the Web site so that the public knows that is the most recent information we have and that information may not be accurate,” she said.
Madigan said she anticipates the team may draw up proposed legislation to strengthen sex offender registry laws.
The team will meet first Dec. 17, she said.