Sheriff has a zero tolerance policy if sex offenders don't register
CHEBOYGAN CO., MI -- A Northern Michigan Sheriff is taking a tough stance against people who commit sexual crimes.
He's started up a zero tolerance policy for sex offenders who don't register.
Starting April 1st, the 117 county sex offenders will have 15 days to register their addresses with police.
If they fail, they're going to jail, and the Sheriff says it's to protect you and your family.
"It’s important to make sure their whereabouts are known and they are compliant. That's very important to the Sheriff, that's very important to the Department, to protect the public," said Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Deputy John Supernault.
The Cheboygan County Sheriff has put a duty he believes to be one of the most significant on Deputy John Supernault. That is to keep tabs on the sex offenders in the county. He makes it clear if they don't abide, cuff them up.
"These individuals are on the registry for a reason, and I believe to protect the public and protect the children, that we have to do this," said Cheboygan County Sheriff Dale Clarmont.
117 sex offenders live within Cheboygan County. The Sheriff's office deals with 71 of them. Other local departments deal with the rest. Starting April 1st all offenders must register their address with police by April 15th. And Sheriff says this is no April fools, if they're one day late, they're going to jail.
"We are zero tolerance with this. If they register after the 15 days, they will be arrested. It's not something we want to do, but something we will do because they know the rules," said Supernault.
Cheboygan County residents are in favor of the zero tolerance.
"If they've broken the law, then they should take care of what they need to take care of," said resident Mike Purdy.
"If they don't register, they go to jail," said resident Norma Hudson.
And this isn't the only check-up the Sheriff's office does.
They make sex offenders re-register four times a year with zero tolerance.
If a sex offender moves they have to let police know within ten days or that's a felony.
The law requires that if one is convicted of a listed sex offense, they must register as a sex offender and depending on the crime, registration is from 25 years to life. There are also other criteria for a registered sex offender such as they cannot live, work or loiter within a 1000 feet of a school. They also cannot work at any day care, foster home or care center with children.
All of the addresses collected in the quarterly check-up are put on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry website.
The Sheriff says you can find the sex offenders that live near you by visiting the registry site. Also, they urge you to leave them a tip at the site if you feel a sex offender is registering at one address and living at another.
The Public Sex Offender Registery answers frequently asked questions HERE.
