Editorial: Sex offender registry

Friday, May 20, 2005 | 8:54 a.m.

A year ago Nevada state government launched a sex offender Web site, a database available to the public that lists people who have been convicted of violent sex crimes but are no longer in prison. The Web site -- www.nvsexoffenders.gov -- is supposed to give Nevadans useful information so they can protect themselves, especially children, from sexual predators. The offenders' name and aliases, mug shots and conviction information can be obtained from the Web site. But, as the Las Vegas Sun reported last year, there was one vital piece of information missing from the Web site -- the street addresses of the most violent sex offenders. Zip codes of residences and work sites for these offenders can be gleaned, but that information is too vague to be of much use.

At the time we called on the Nevada Legislature to disclose these addresses, and we are glad to see that legislation to do just that -- authored by Sen. Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas -- was unanimously passed by the Senate last week. Titus' bill is pending in the Assembly, but the Associated Press reports that Assembly Judiciary Committee Chairman Bernie Anderson, D-Sparks, is concerned about the costs of the bill, which also would strengthen other components of the sex offender registry. Under the legislation, the criminal history repository would have to provide free background checks to nonprofit groups. This would be a vital service for groups wishing to see if someone who wants to work or volunteer for them has been convicted of a sex crime. The criminal history repository, located in the Public Safety Department, notes that it would take about $250,000 to modify the sex offender database so that it provides better, more timely information as required by Titus' bill.

If the Legislature is serious about arming Nevadans with useful information so they can better avoid becoming the victims of sexual predators, it can easily do so. There are several hundred million dollars available in the state budget surplus that can be tapped into to beef up the sex offender registry. There is no excuse for failing to take action.