King County Operation Crackdown for unregistered sex offenders begins today
OLYMPIA - Gov. Christine Gregoire and law enforcement in King County and four other counties are launching Operation Crackdown to catch dozens of sex offenders who are back on the streets, but haven’t registered with authorities.
The governor calls it a broad sweep to locate and arrest sex offenders who have outstanding warrants. The state program, patterned after the U.S. Marshal’s Operation Falcon, will put more manpower on the streets. The cost, including overtime, could reach $100,000.
The program got under way in Yakima County this morning with three arrests, and more arrests are expected in King County later in the day. Later this week, the operation begins in Chelan and Douglas counties and next week in the Spokane area. More counties are to follow.