HELENA — Last week, a joint law enforcement operation was conducted to ensure sex offenders were compliant with their court-ordered restrictions according to Helena Police.
Law enforcement officers from Helena Police Department, United States Marshals Service, Montana Department of Corrections, Montana Department of Justice and United States Probation and Parole worked to contact each registered sexual offender living within the city limits of Helena.
Of the 95 registered sex offenders in the Helena city limits, 71 were found to be in compliance.
Those not in compliance included one offender who was found to be in federal custody, three who were in the custody of the Department of Corrections, seven who were in the Lewis & Clark County jail, one who was in the Powell County jail, and two who moved out of Helena jurisdiction.
The teams made one arrest for an outstanding warrant and five offenders were brought into compliance during the operation. Officers are working with the Lewis & Clark County Attorney’s Office to determine the next steps for the five offenders found out of compliance. Offenders found out of compliance can be charged with the violation, or they are taken into custody and their release is revoked.
The Montana Department of Justice maintains a sexual or violent offender registry for the state.