Gov. Gregoire commends success of Operation Crackdown

For Immediate Release: October 2, 2008

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today is applauding Washington�s law enforcement community for the success of the second Operation Crackdown, a month-long operation that led to more than 150 arrests, including those of 56 sex offenders who had failed to register, as required by law.

�Sweeps like these send a powerful and unmistakable message to sex offenders living in our state,� Gregoire said. �Many believe they can get away without registering. Think again. Failing to register is a crime our law enforcement officers and I take very seriously.�

Gregoire created Operation Crackdown last year and set aside $200,000 in the supplemental budget to pay for overtime hours worked by law enforcement officers involved in the sweeps. The program is carried out by Washington�s Department of Corrections, which coordinates activities among sheriff�s offices, police departments and the U.S. Marshals Service.

The first sweep, conducted November 2007 through February 2008, led to 277 arrests.

�The first Operation Crackdown established a stronger partnership among local, state and federal agencies,� DOC Secretary Eldon Vail said. �Now we�re seeing the results of that improved coordination on a day-to-day basis, not just during these statewide sweeps.�

Twelve of Washington�s 39 counties participated in the most recent Operation Crackdown, which concluded last week. Several counties chose not to participate in the second operation because many of the offenders who had warrants had been arrested during the original sweep. Those counties were Benton, Clallam, Clark, Franklin, Grays Harbor, King, Pend Oreille, Pierce, Snohomish, Stevens, Whatcom and Yakima.

The most recent Operation Crackdown targeted sex offenders who failed to register with their local sheriff�s office. The arrest total includes other people with outstanding arrest warrants who were found with the sex offenders during the sweep.

Last year, Gregoire pulled together a Sex Offender Task Force, composed of prosecutors, law enforcement officers and victims service providers. The task force examined the changes and improvements the state has put in place since the 1990 passage of the Community Protection Act. It also developed strategies to further ensure the safety of Washington families.

In addition to funding Operation Crackdown, Gregoire�s 2008 supplemental budget included more than $8 million to cover increased costs of supervising of sex offenders, a unified sex offender registry program and in-person verification of sex offenders� location. The money set aside for the in-person verification program is distributed as grants to law enforcement agencies statewide through the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

The governor�s budget also included nearly $1 million for electronic monitoring. On Wednesday, DOC announced the expansion of its program that puts GPS locators on the highest-risk sex offenders. Now all Level 3 sex offender will have to wear a GPS ankle bracelet for at least the first 30 days after their release from prison.