State Attorney General John Suthers has formed a criminal justice subcommittee to the Governor’s Task Force on Sexually Violent Predators that could streamline policies to identify predators more swiftly.
“After our initial meeting, it was clear that the current system could do a better job at protecting Coloradans from sexually violent predators,” Suthers said. “Our top priority is to ensure public safety.”
The governor acted after The Denver Post reported that only two sex offenders convicted in Colorado and living outside prison were labeled as sexually violent predators because of Colorado’s intentionally restrictive rules.
Sex offenders must be identified by a judge or the parole board as violent sexual predators before law officers can do active community notification, such as knocking on neighbors’ doors to warn them about the sex offender.
The Post also reported that in six years since the law has been in effect, the Department of Corrections hadn’t done any predator evaluations and officials from the Division of Probation Services don’t know how many evaluations they’ve done.
Suthers’ subcommittee will meet Tuesday following the governor’s task force meeting.
The subcommittee will identify and address deficiencies within the existing system. It also will try to improve information sharing between agencies.
House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, also is heading a legislative committee considering possible changes in Colorado’s predator law.
The subcommittee consists of representatives of state entities responsible for identifying sexually violent predators.
The governor’s task force must submit recommended statutory changes to Gov. Bill Owens by Nov. 1.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-820-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
