MI- Owosso's Holcomb tracks down sex offenders

11-23-2008 Michigan:

OWOSSO - Every four months, more than 80 members of the Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry are required to check in with the police department.

If any of them don't, Sgt. Tom Holcomb will find them.

“My goal is not to give these guys a hard time,” Holcomb said. “My goal is all about compliance.”

According to Michigan state laws, sex offenders are required to follow guidelines to avoid further prosecution. In smaller cities, one person can be assigned to keep track of less than a dozen offenders or so. In major cities such as Detroit, a team of officers handles the thousands of offenders.

In Owosso, all of the estimated 86 sex offenders are tracked by Holcomb.

“It keeps me busy,” he said. “But I enjoy it. It's going to sound like a canned response, but victims (of the sex offenders) have the right to know where these guys are at all times.”

-This is not correct, victims have no rights that are not granted to the public in general. The only right the public has is, to know where the offender lives. i.e. where s/he sleeps at night and miscellaneous other information. There is no right to know where RSOs are AT ALL TIMES.

Owosso Public Safety Director Mike Compeau says, in Holcomb, he has the best investigator in Michigan.

“He makes life pretty easy for me,” Compeau said. “I'm glad I have someone so passionate about letting people know if sex offenders are living nearby.”

Like he does every four months, Holcomb went through the city's list in October. The work involved more than phone calls.

“If they come in and show their IDs, that's great, but that doesn't happen with everyone,” he said. “If they don't, that can mean a phone call or a house check.”

Holcomb investigates almost every case personally, so he often spends his afternoons doing checks. If the offender isn't home, he said he will do what is necessary until he can locate the individual.

“I'll talk to neighbors, landlords, family members or anyone else that might have information,” he said. “I talked to one landlord recently and he said the guy moved out a few weeks ago without notice. If there is an eviction notice, that can be a wonderful piece of evidence later on.”

When an offender fails to verify with the department, it is considered a felony. During the department's last verification period, Holcomb found three individuals who didn't comply.

“Of course my goal is zero,” he said. “Most of my checks I'll come back with none. The most I've ever had wasn't more than four, but tracking them down is the hard part.”

Holcomb will work with the prosecutor's office to obtain a warrant if necessary, but most of the time he will make the arrest himself.

“I just made an arrest not too long ago,” he said. “But when I got back into the office, I sat down and started looking at the list again. It's a constant thing.”

The MSOR was established in 1994, according to a representative of the Michigan State Police. While there are several guidelines, the representative said, they are constantly changing.

The Adam Walsh Act, for example requires states to establish three tiers of sex offenders, according to the MSOR Web site. Michigan does not have the tier system yet but is working towards it, Holcomb said.

“We just got new guidelines from the state,” Compeau said. “I know (Holcomb) is going to stay right on top of it.”

On Jan. 27, sex offenders will be required to submit to fingerprinting during verification periods. Holcomb expects other, tougher laws to follow.

“My guess is it will go in stages,” he said. “The government realized it had a problem and they're doing a lot right now to fix it. In a few years these laws will be a lot harder and uniform across the country.”

While he said he enjoyed the work, Holcomb appreciates any help he can get. If residents in the area have information or would like an update on an individual, Holcomb can be reached through the Owosso Police Department at 725-0580 or through voicemail at 725-0506 ext. 407. ..News Source.. by NATHAN BRUTTELL Argus-Press Staff Writer