Tracking predators

Chicago Tribune

Some recent stories of kidnapping and murder have exposed gaps in Megan's Law, which requires the 50 states to register sex offenders and make information on them available to the public.

The measure, named after Megan Kanka of New Jersey, who was raped and murdered in 1994 at age 7, leaves the details of enforcement to the states.

The burden to register belongs to the offenders and, when they move out of state, so does the burden to register again in their new state. Problems can arise when residents and police are not alerted to an offender who is new or who has returned to the community. ...

Public registries have provided an effective compromise between the desire of ex-offenders to get on with their lives and the need of their neighbors to be alerted to potential risks. ...

Other states have similar laws and provide Internet access to their registries. Nevertheless, each state maintains its own list and standards. A national standard and registry would make it tougher for a sex offender to escape the law's grasp by traveling to a new locale.