Local News in Brief : Offender ‘Surveillance’

Despite the protest of one supervisor that it smacked of “vigilante” justice, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors agreed Tuesday to seek state legislation that would encourage “community surveillance” of registered sex offenders.

The proposal, by Supervisor Pete Schabarum, would establish a statewide reward fund for citizens who identify and report sex offenders violating probation or parole requirements that require them to register with law enforcement.

If a sex offender is taken before an appropriate judicial authority and found in violation, the reporting citizen should be entitled to a monetary reward, said Schabarum, who persuaded two colleagues--Deane Dana and Mike Antonovich--to back the idea.

Supervisor Ed Edelman, who voted against it, said the proposal “could lead to some kind of vigilante” retaliation. But Schabarum contended that there was “no teeth” in current law to make sure the estimated 26,000 registered sex offenders in the county are registering as required.

The supervisors’ 3-1 vote has no force of law and merely prevails on the Legislature to act.