ND- Police say sex offender meetings not well attended

Registries and the sex offender issue is getting old, folks are tired of hearing about it because the scare that is intended, doesn't occur. Fear mongering is dead and folks are beginning to recognize.

12-15-2008 North Dakota:

FARGO — Police said they have stopped holding neighborhood meetings to tell people about high-risk sex offenders because no one shows up.

“Even the media isn’t coming. We decided it was not a good use of our manpower,” Fargo Police Sgt. Jeff Skuza said. “We’ll continue to release information to the public through the news. Folks can still sign up for automatic e-mail alerts, and if they have any questions, they can still call in here, and we’ll answer all the questions we can.”

Police in other cities say they go door-to-door with fliers to tell people about a high-risk sex offender and use the news media to get the word out.

“The law doesn’t specify how the notification is supposed to be made. It just says, because of this level (of risk), notification will be made to these outlets,” Bismarck Police Lt. Bob Haas said. Police in his city never have required neighborhood meetings, he said.

“We can get hold of more people and just do a general release through media outlets,” Haas said. “It seems like everybody is getting the information. If we need to make a special notification, we can go to schools, day cares — this way, we can specifically target places.”

Minot Police Sgt. Shawn Wegner said the city might do a press release or distribute fliers door to door, depending on the offender.

“It’s on a case-by-case basis,” he said.

Grand Forks Police Capt. Kerwin Kjelstrom said no one comes to meetings anymore, whether they involve sex offenders or other issues.

“People are just too busy,” he said. “Why go to another meeting, like with sex offenders, when it’s in the paper, it’s on the news, and everybody in the area gets a flier? I’m hoping they get enough information the way it is.

“We put photographs out and addresses. We have our list here that the public can come in and view and check. The state, of course, is on line,” Kjelstrom said.

While it takes more time to go door-to-door, he said, it seems to be a better way. Police still could schedule a neighborhood meeting if they feel one is required, he said. ..News Source.. by Grand Forks Hearld