FRESNO, Calif. (KMPH) -
Valley authorities know exactly where more than 1,000 sex offenders are after a two-week, multi-agency roundup.
Investigators say thanks to Operation Guardian Angel, they've verified the addresses of 1,297 registered sex offenders throughout Fresno and Madera counties, found 76 who had not reported their whereabouts, arrested 45 and cleared warrants on 55.
At a news conference in Downtown Fresno on Thursday, local law enforcement leaders told why letting sex offenders know they're tracking them this way is so important.
"They know what their tendencies are," Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said. "They know that they have a high likelihood of going out and re-offending and committing some type of sexual offense, and so the fact that we are following them, tracking them, monitoring them, holds them accountable because they cannot hold themselves accountable."
Dyer also says because of Operation Guardian Angel, there are far fewer unregistered sex offenders in the Valley now than there were two years ago.
This operation was performed in two phases: Phase I began on August 20, 2012 and ended August 24, 2012; Phase II began on August 27, 2012 and ended on August 31, 2012.
This is the second year for Operation Guardian Angel, which was a collaborative initiative between the United States Marshals Service, the Fresno Police Department, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, the Madera County Sheriff's Office, the Madera Police Department, the Fresno County Probation Department, the Madera County Probation Department, the Fresno County District Attorney's Office, the Madera County District Attorney's Office, the Adult Compliance Team (ACT), the Department of Homeland Security; Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), and the United States Attorney's Office.
- Photos provided by the United States Marshals Service -
