Photo by epmdThe Washington Examiner reports that D.C. and Virginia will lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal law enforcement grant money, because they failed to meet a key deadline to comply with a controversial federal law related to sex offender registries.
The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, named after a Florida boy who was killed 30 years ago (his father, John Walsh, created America’s Most Wanted), includes national standards for monitoring sex offenders.
The District will lose approximately $250,000 in federal dollars used to buy bulletproof vests, police vehicles and other equipment, and Virginia will lose about $500,000. Earlier this month, in a plea from DCist to read past the first few lines of a given story, your editor-in-chief flagged some of the challenges the District would face if it were to fall in line with the federal mandate.
Maryland, somewhat unexpectedly, joined 14 other states that were found in compliance with the mandate. Maryland law keeps violent juvenile sex offenders on a nonpublic registry for up to seven years, not the 25 required by the federal mandate. But a broader interpretation of those rules meant Maryland could comply.
The Examiner reports that Virginia is working with the Justice Department to reach the standards, while D.C. Councilmember Phil Mendelson, whose public safety committee is handling the legislation to make D.C. compliant, isn’t sure the laws are necessary.
