Close watch on sex offenders (From Thisisdorset)

Close watch on sex offenders

7:08pm Tuesday 30th September 2008 in

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DORSET'S most dangerous registered sex offenders are very closely monitored to ensure the public are protected.

This is the response from Dorset Police following national reports that the number of police checking on known perverts is a postcode lottery.

According to the figures, Greater Manchester police had the highest ratio - 65 offenders per officer - and Dorset wasn't far behind with 59 offenders per officer.

But officers from Dorset's public protection unit say in reality the figure is much lower as its 10 specially trained officers concentrate on managing the high or very high risk registered sex offenders and less dangerous offenders are managed by officers across the force.

Detective Superintendent Mark Cooper, head of the unit, reiterated that the most serious sex offenders are very closely monitored.

"Do not worry, we have very few high and very high risk offenders in comparison to other areas," he said.

"That's what this team does. We carefully monitor where there is a risk. We throw all our resources to it and target the individual and prevent them from re-offending. Our job is to make the public safe."

Out of 598 people currently on the register in Dorset, 59 have been deemed to be at very high risk of reconviction, 153 have been declared as high risk, 198 of medium risk and 195 are deemed low risk.

After a registered sex offender is risk assessed they are visited by a police officer from the force's registered sex offender management unit for a more dynamic assessment.

Those still deemed to be of high risk or very high risk are managed by an officer from the unit and receive visits every three months and month respectively.

Individuals deemed medium or low risk are visited every six months or a year respectively by an officer from one of the divisions. In the future it is planned that all sex offenders will be managed solely by the unit.

Sex offenders in Dorset are monitored by the county's Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements group.

DS John O'Hara, of the registered sex offender management unit, said the figures are constantly changing with more people being added to the register and individuals switching between the risk categories.

"Dorset Police will target those that are of the highest risk to members of the public," he added.