June 8, 2004

Lansing - The Michigan State Police Lansing Post recently concluded a two week long sex offender violator sweep code named "Operation Verify- Wave #2". The sweep covered Ingham, Eaton, & Clinton Counties in an effort to locate and arrest individuals determined to be in violation of Public Act 295, also known as the Michigan Sex Offenders Registration Act of 1994.

The Tri-County area is home to 1057 registered sex offenders, with 832 of those registered in Ingham County. During Operation Verify, State Troopers accounted for 160 of the nearly 200 violators in the Tri-County area by arresting a total of 50. State Police determined that 58 of the 1057 offenders in the Tri-County area were currently incarcerated in State Prison on other charges and/ or parole violations. Twenty-six violators were located in other states and six violators have been deported from the United States. Several other violators were located in local jails and three were discovered to be deceased. Investigators at the Lansing Post will continue efforts to locate and arrest the remaining 40 outstanding violators in the Lansing area. Lansing Post Troopers arrested 42 sex offender violators in a similar operation in 2003, of the 42 arrested individuals; 31 have remained in compliance since their arrests. "All of the violators in the Tri- County area will be accounted for, we have an obligation to the victims as well as the local communities to get these individuals in compliance with their reporting duties", said D/Sgt. Kyle McPhee, coordinator of Operation Verify.

The State of Michigan has 34,225 registered sex offenders with nearly 12,000 of those currently incarcerated in state prisons. Violators of the sex offender reporting law face charges of either a four year felony for failing to change their address, or a 93 day misdemeanor for failing to verify with police on a quarterly basis. Michigan currently has nearly 2000 sex offender violators statewide. The public can access the Michigan State Police Sex Offender Registry online at www.mipsor.state.mi.us, and is encouraged to report any suspected sex offender reporting violations to their local State Police Post or Police agency. The Michigan State Police have maintained the sex offender registry since 1995.