Gary King’s view: We need to monitor paroled child sex offenders with GPS devices

Note: This is a guest column about how to deal with sex offenders that was solicited from both candidates in the attorney general race. Republican Jim Bibb’s column will run Thursday.

By Gary King
Democratic candidate for attorney general

One of the key proposals of my campaign for New Mexico attorney general has been the improved protection of New Mexico families. This proposal includes strengthening our laws to protect victims of domestic violence and sexual predators. Two important recommendations I would make to the Legislature in my first year as attorney general are real-time tracking of paroled child sexual offenders by global positioning device (GPS) units and removal of the statute of limitations for prosecution of rape.

We must do more to be proactive and prevent sex crimes against our children. Real time tracking of paroled sex offenders by GPS will reduce recidivism by known offenders and is more cost effective than lifetime incarceration of one-time offenders. More than 20 states already have some type of tracking program in place, and we should survey the programs and implement the most effective ideas in New Mexico to keep predators away from schools, parks and other areas where they could perpetrate new offenses.

While in the Legislature I supported a “two strikes and you’re out” law for violent sexual offenders and would support such a concept for certain sex crimes against children as well.

Removing the statute of limitations for designated sex crimes will assure offenders that we place the highest priority on the identification and prevention of these crimes, and that they will be held accountable.

I have also been advocating for more resources for our criminal justice system’s courts, prosecutors and public defenders to assure that no criminals go free for lack of timely prosecution. As attorney general I would place the highest priority on pursuing cases against sexual predators to make sure that no offender escapes justice because of a lack of resources to actively prosecute trials.

As a state representative I also carried legislation to create a statewide database for DNA fingerprinting. We need to continue to improve this important crime-fighting tool. In cases where rapists have not been caught, but where DNA evidence exists, I will advocate for resources to continue to pursue all leads until the perpetrators of the crimes are caught and convicted.