U.S. Marshals target sex offenders in Northern Arizona operation

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The combined efforts of the United States Marshals Service, Navajo County Sheriff's Office and state police departments led to hundreds of sex offender compliance checks.

In a press release, only one arrest was made in a compliance operation across Northern Arizona.

"The Marshals Service is committed to assisting our partner agencies with sex offender
compliance checks. By determining if offenders are complying with court ordered requirements,
especially in rural communities, we help protect those most vulnerable to sex offenders," said District of
Arizona Acting U.S. Marshal Van Bayless.

Furthermore, between September 12 and September 16, 2022. a total of 212 compliance checks were performed by state, local, and federal law enforcement officers.

Moreover, this resulted in the identification of eight deceased offenders and the arrest of one offender.

Multi-agency operation

To accomplish this, compliance checks involved officers verifying sex offenders registered address or conducting research to confirm address and registration information.

Correspondingly, personnel worked together to investigate and locate sex offenders, develop leads for partner agencies, and update the local sex offender registries across Northern Arizona.

During the operation, education and guidance were given on best practices for:

• Maintaining sex offender files
• Packing the offender's record in Offender Watch
• Establishing policies and procedures for sex offender registration
• Assessing offenders for risk in accordance with Arizona law

Arizona law

For further context, the Arizona law, which took effect on January 2022, requires sex offenders to report address changes within 72 hours.

Not only that, they must complete annual registration during their birth month.

Equally important, offenders must provide accurate information on registration forms to include registered vehicles and social media handles.

Lastly, offenders must report any intended international travel 21 days in advance.

Educating sex offenders on the new Arizona law was the primary focus for the compliance operation.

U.S. Marshals' commitment to the safety of children

Nevertheless, the ability to partner the District of Arizona's Sex Offender Investigations Branch with federal, state, local, and tribal partners represents the U.S. Marshals Service's commitment tot the safety of children across the state and country.