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2 he Canadian Champion, Friday, April 20. 2001 Christopher's TLaw will corne into effect Monday Sex offender registry expected to be a valuable investigative tool for Halton Regional Police By TIM WHITNELL Special /0 The Champion Keeping tabs on the where- abouts of sex offenders in Milton and the rest of Halton will become easier with the imminent passage of new legisiation, say Halton Regional Police. Howcver, the public shouldn't expect to have access to the information or for police to habitually publicize the addresses of those living in the regton with convictions for sex-related crimes. On Monday, the Ontarto legislature ir Have You Always Wanted to Enhance Vour Appearance? Now is the perfect time. 55e have the solution welS stare-of-t1v-art laser) teholo n a quiet, com/fortable anrdprivate officeset mg We otter treatment for *Spider vejot Age & Brown Spots *Faciatveins Sun &Red Spots *Birthmarks Tatino Removat *Faciat Piementatinn Watts *Suegeey for var/cote veiot tIection Scterotherapy *Obae/ Skin Care Products for varicote ve/os For a (eartconsultation ca//- Dr. A Ma//k mon. îecc. PeLae& enVsca Cetr expected tu enact Clrrîstîrphers la\s. ii teset tbat w ill enable law enforcentert agencres in the province to comptle tbe names, most recent addresses and photugraphs ol mdi- viduals constcted orI sexual ullences in Canada. A/I people servtng such a sentence on the day the lav- comres rnto force or cotwîicted of a ccv offence on or alter tbat day. v-ill bc subject to mandatory registration. The pending lav- is named for Cliristopher Stephenson. The Il -year-old Brampton boy v-as murdered in 1988 by convicted pedophile Josepb Fredertcks, who v-as out of jail on mandatory supervi- ston aI the lime of the killing. It v-bs O-ve yeaes before a coroner's jury made a slev- of recommendations 10 avoid such tragedies, the moist signiticant suggestion being the creation of a national registry for sex offenders. The law isn't Canada-wide, but Oct. lnsp. Signy Pittman, head of Halton police's criminal investigations brancb, said Halton police are ready 10 apply the new regulations. -Its a v-onderful investigative tool," sbte said. "When wc as investigators hear of someone (v-ith a history of sex crimes) comne int our community v-e track (hem - but we can't be av-are of aIl of them." The nev- lav- should make it casier t0 track such individuals, she said. "The reg- isry v-ill be more sophîsticated. It v-ill allov- us to do a number -of different searches, by name, address...' Il's expected 10 bc a marked improve- ment on the current search system, the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC), which can't alv-ays provide a cur- rent address and doesn't include an offend- cr's photo. Det. lrrspi Pittinraîr 'aid site kuset kess how mariv cons îcted ses ollenders cur- rently reside in Halton but she guessed about I//O. Oîlenders wbo tarI to coinplv wrth registration requtrementr lace a tinle ut up to $25,(8/O atd/or up te) two vears ti jail. The kind ol ses olletîces that require tndividuals te) register ss itb local police depantments and report annually foc newi photos runs the gamut tront people con- victed of touching with a 'rerual cornnota- lion to exposure to inccc i) aggravateel sexual assault. Anyone convicted (if a sex crime and sentenced 10 less than 10 years rematns oit the registry for 10 years. A sentence of more than 10 years, or t-o sex-related con- victions means the indtvtdual stays on the registry for life. As for tbe public's ability te) lind out who is orr the list and where they live. it's not likely to happen, 'raid Det. lnsp. Pittman. There bas long been a process that allows police te) telease the information te) the public but it is rarely invoked. "The Police Services Act speaks to the discîcîsure of information. The chief or his designate could disclose personal informa- tion if the individual poses a signtlicatt risk of harm loi people or property." 'raid Pittman. "Many of these people, v-ho may be high-risk offenders, are traditionally under some sort of judictal conditioîn already like parole or a report order, v-hich allov-s us tes check up con them." Just because they're on the registry deres- n't mean police will be contacting the tndi- vidual though if a sex crime is committed in Halton, she said. ýThat's not 10 say everyone on tbe regtstry is automatically a suspect in any case." a