(ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) Sheriff's departments from nine counties across northwest Missouri will be taking advantage of a law allowing them to charge sex offenders for maintaining the Sex Offender Registry program.
Representatives from four of those counties met at the Buchanan County Sheriff's office Monday to talk about the charges.
Starting June 1, counties will begin charging $10 for a first time registry and $5 for each change to a sex offender's current registration.
In Buchanan, Andrew, Nodaway and Holt counties alone, that represents more than 400 offenders.
"I think what it does is it holds their feet to the fire and makes them understand that there are people watching and that it is their responsibility," said Nodaway County Sheriff Darrin White.
"I think all of us are share in the philosophy that they need to pay for the problem they're creating," added Buchanan County Sheriff Mike Strong.
Strong said the small fee will not come close to paying for the cost of maintaining the sex offender program. He says his office spends more than $80,000 per year to register and monitor sex offenders. ..Source.. by Alan Van Zandt
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