Las Vegas NowNevada Praised For Rules on Sex Offenders
Hundreds of sex offenders in our valley are breaking the law by refusing to register. Now a federal report cites Nevada as a role model for the way the DMV cracks down on offenders -- by refusing them drivers licenses if they're unregistered.
But the report also reveals some flaws in the accountability of sex offenders.
"We're only state that checks every license application and renewal against the sex offender registry," said DMV Spokesman Kevin Malone.
In 2006, state law changed for sex offenders, requiring them to go in person to the DMV rather than renew online.
"We reduced the amount of time. Most people keep a driver's license for four years. Sex offenders now only keep it for 1 year. And once they go in for that renewal they're checked right on the spot to make sure their registration is up to date," said State Senator Dina Titus.
Titus sponsored the bill after she realized sex offenders were constantly going unregistered and unchecked, "There are two problems -- one is making sure that sex offenders register and second is tracking them once their registered. So if we're at least handling one end of it we've come a long way."
Now the national government is looking at Nevada as a model for implementing stricter rules and checks for sex offenders across the country.
"I'm glad we're on the top of a good list for a change -- even if it is dealing with a bad subject," said Titus.
New federal rules will go further than Nevada, checking the federal registry instead of just the state one. So sex offenders moving from state to state will still have to comply.
"That is going to take a while because it is expensive. You have to bring 50 states into it and make all the information compatible. But certainly this is a priority across the country," said Titus.
New rules would also require sex offenders who don't have a driver's license to still get an ID so they will not be exempt from the check. It is something Nevada's laws don't require yet.
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