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American Morning

System Failing?

Aired January 09, 2003 - 09:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We are told authorities in California do not know the whereabouts of thousands of convicted sex offenders, the state there losing track of more than one third of them. What's wrong with the state's registry system now for sex offenders? What can be done about it? We'll talk about that with Marc Klaas, back with us here, a strong advocate for missing children. His daughter Polly abducted and murdered back in 1993.
And, Marc, welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. Happy New Year.

MARC KLAAS, KLAASKIDS FOUNDATION: Thank you, Bill. Happy New Year to you.

HEMMER: What gives here on this? What's going on in that state?

KLAAS: Well, first of all, I think it's an American problem more than California problem. You have to realize that California has been registering sex offenders since late 1940s.

We are dealing with a problem here -- actually it's three problems. It's about compliance, it's about verification and it's about access. And in California, they're not forcing compliance, they're not verifying who the guys are and they're not giving Internet access, which I believe is the way to go, to the public.

HEMMER: So, Marc, You're saying the system is flawed at the outset. In addition to that, it's a question of manpower and money?

KLAAS: I don't know if it's manpower or money at all. In the 1990s, as crime statistics were dropping, President Clinton signed the omnibus crime bill that put 100,000 more police on streets, put $30 billion into the resource pool for law enforcement. So for them to come back and say that it's a matter of resource, I believe is kind of deferring responsibility and accountability.

HEMMER: And the reason I asked that question, Marc, take a listen to detective in Sacramento, a gentlemen by the name of Dennis Chew. Here's what is he had to say yesterday about why it is so difficult. Here's the detective.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DENNIS CHEW, CALIF. TRACKING CENTER: It's very difficult to try to be to track all of them, and we can't possibly do that with current resource we have.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HEMMER: He says resources, which indicate manpower and money. Some say it costs state about $20 million more to do this effectively. Do you think right now the state of California is willing to go that far to make sure Megan's Law does apply statewide?

KLAAS: California is in $335 billion shortfall as are most states. We're dealing with deficit spending here, but there are other cities that are comparable cities to Sacramento, San Jose being a very good example. They've made it a priority to track these individuals and insure compliance of both the sex offender registry and making sure that the public has the ability to find out who these individuals are.

So I think Sacramento should be looking at the example of San Jose, as opposed to deferring responsibility. Officer Chew, or Deputy Chew, is the only...

HEMMER: Detective, yes.

KLAAS: Detective Chew is the only individual in Sacramento who is tracking the hundreds of offenders that exist within that county. So, you know, he needs people to assist him with his job.

HEMMER: How about this. The numbers are staggering, 76,000 registered sex offenders.

KLAAS: No, 98,000.

HEMMER: I'm sorry, what was your number?

KLAAS: 98, 000.

HEMMER: OK, that's different from what I have right here, and about 30,000 thereabouts unable to be tracked down right now. Given those numbers then, Marc, size it up and break it down for us in a very simple way. What do you think it would take in California to make this thing effective?

KLAAS: I think Internet access is the answer, Bill. I mean, that's what 30 other states are doing. Put the pictures of the individual who have committed these crimes on the Internet so that almost anybody, well, so that anybody can have access to that information and will have some kind of a citizen compliance, as opposed to law enforcement compliance. That's totally what Megan's Law is about; it's about giving us that information so that we can use that information to protect our children.

Currently in California, and in 20 other states, people have to go to law enforcement or somehow contact law enforcement to access the information, and that's not the -- that was not intent and that's not the way it should be.

HEMMER: Best of luck to you. Certainly got our attention yesterday when it crossed here.

Marc Klaas in San Francisco. See you, Marc. KLAAS: Sure.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired January 9, 2003 - 09:16   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We are told authorities in California do not know the whereabouts of thousands of convicted sex offenders, the state there losing track of more than one third of them. What's wrong with the state's registry system now for sex offenders? What can be done about it? We'll talk about that with Marc Klaas, back with us here, a strong advocate for missing children. His daughter Polly abducted and murdered back in 1993.
And, Marc, welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. Happy New Year.

MARC KLAAS, KLAASKIDS FOUNDATION: Thank you, Bill. Happy New Year to you.

HEMMER: What gives here on this? What's going on in that state?

KLAAS: Well, first of all, I think it's an American problem more than California problem. You have to realize that California has been registering sex offenders since late 1940s.

We are dealing with a problem here -- actually it's three problems. It's about compliance, it's about verification and it's about access. And in California, they're not forcing compliance, they're not verifying who the guys are and they're not giving Internet access, which I believe is the way to go, to the public.

HEMMER: So, Marc, You're saying the system is flawed at the outset. In addition to that, it's a question of manpower and money?

KLAAS: I don't know if it's manpower or money at all. In the 1990s, as crime statistics were dropping, President Clinton signed the omnibus crime bill that put 100,000 more police on streets, put $30 billion into the resource pool for law enforcement. So for them to come back and say that it's a matter of resource, I believe is kind of deferring responsibility and accountability.

HEMMER: And the reason I asked that question, Marc, take a listen to detective in Sacramento, a gentlemen by the name of Dennis Chew. Here's what is he had to say yesterday about why it is so difficult. Here's the detective.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DENNIS CHEW, CALIF. TRACKING CENTER: It's very difficult to try to be to track all of them, and we can't possibly do that with current resource we have.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HEMMER: He says resources, which indicate manpower and money. Some say it costs state about $20 million more to do this effectively. Do you think right now the state of California is willing to go that far to make sure Megan's Law does apply statewide?

KLAAS: California is in $335 billion shortfall as are most states. We're dealing with deficit spending here, but there are other cities that are comparable cities to Sacramento, San Jose being a very good example. They've made it a priority to track these individuals and insure compliance of both the sex offender registry and making sure that the public has the ability to find out who these individuals are.

So I think Sacramento should be looking at the example of San Jose, as opposed to deferring responsibility. Officer Chew, or Deputy Chew, is the only...

HEMMER: Detective, yes.

KLAAS: Detective Chew is the only individual in Sacramento who is tracking the hundreds of offenders that exist within that county. So, you know, he needs people to assist him with his job.

HEMMER: How about this. The numbers are staggering, 76,000 registered sex offenders.

KLAAS: No, 98,000.

HEMMER: I'm sorry, what was your number?

KLAAS: 98, 000.

HEMMER: OK, that's different from what I have right here, and about 30,000 thereabouts unable to be tracked down right now. Given those numbers then, Marc, size it up and break it down for us in a very simple way. What do you think it would take in California to make this thing effective?

KLAAS: I think Internet access is the answer, Bill. I mean, that's what 30 other states are doing. Put the pictures of the individual who have committed these crimes on the Internet so that almost anybody, well, so that anybody can have access to that information and will have some kind of a citizen compliance, as opposed to law enforcement compliance. That's totally what Megan's Law is about; it's about giving us that information so that we can use that information to protect our children.

Currently in California, and in 20 other states, people have to go to law enforcement or somehow contact law enforcement to access the information, and that's not the -- that was not intent and that's not the way it should be.

HEMMER: Best of luck to you. Certainly got our attention yesterday when it crossed here.

Marc Klaas in San Francisco. See you, Marc. KLAAS: Sure.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com