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| Management of Registered Sex Offenders | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Figures of Registered Offenders in Community and Offenders in Custody will be updated monthly. Whereabouts Unknown Where an offender has failed to register or failed to comply with the requirements of that registration and police enquiries to establish their whereabouts have been unsuccessful the offender is classed as missing. Police will continue to make enquiry to trace the offender.
Tayside Police has a statutory responsibility for managing risks that have been identified concerning individual Registered Sex Offenders within the force area. The management of risk in the community is provided under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) which involve the police, local authorities, Scottish Prison Service, health and other partners. Public safety is always the priority. All aspects of cases are carefully considered at every stage of the process and a risk assessment will include where the offender resides and potential safety issues arising. In essence the MAPPA process aims to asses the risk presented by an individual and thereafter manage that risk through the supervision process and Risk Management Plans. Where an offender is assessed as presenting an increased risk to individuals or to the wider community then additional measures can be put in place, such as increased supervision or an application for a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO). SOPOs can help prevent re-offending by placing a number of prohibitions or conditions on the sex offender. A breach of any of these prohibitions carries a maximum penalty of up to 5 years imprisonment. On some occasions, the police will be the only statutory organisation that is involved in managing a Registered Sex Offender. On other occasions, an offender may be subject to probation or prison licence conditions and in those cases the police and Criminal Justice Social Worker together carry out a robust risk assessment in order to develop a joint Risk Management Plan. What is Sex Offending? There is no accurate definition of sex offending. Sex offending is defined as covering a range of offences that are of a sexual nature and not only those involving children. Most offences are committed within the home or family environment where the offender knows their victim. There has also been a marked increase in the amount of internet-based offences with people downloading, taking or viewing indecent pictures of children. Where Sex Offenders Stay Housing is an important part of the risk assessment process and is fully discussed by all agencies involved in the management of the offender. Decisions are made on a case by case basis. The National Accommodation Strategy for Sex Offenders (NASSO) was published in March 2007 coinciding with the introduction of MAPPA which came into force on 2 April 2007. The MAPPA guidance can be accessed through this link The NASSO can be found at Part 6 of the MAPPA Circular It is widely recognised that stable accommodation is vital to the supervision and management of sex offenders. The NASSO provides a clear national framework for the accommodation of sex offenders in the community with improved public safety and reduced re-offending being the clear priority. Sex offender liaison officers (SOLOs) were introduced with the publication of NASSO and they work with responsible authorities to plan for sex offenders' accommodation needs well in advance of an offender's release from prison. SOLOs provide advice on housing specifically and thereby help reduce any risk to public safety. Further Information The Scottish Government has published an information leaflet entitled "Managing Sex Offenders in your Community". Open the Scottish Government website and download the leaflet |
