SWEEP CAPTURES 55 FUGITIVES ON LI

PFMLIT ABOUT SEX OFFENDERS, ABOUT SEX OFFENDERS AND OTHERS, General, GOOD POLICING CATCHES SEX OFFENDERS AND OTHERS, LAURA AHEARN AND PARENTS FOR MEGANS LAW, PFML, REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS AND OTHERS GENERAL, REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS GENERAL, SEX OFFENDERS AND OTHERS ON THE RUN, SEX OFFENDERS ON THE RUN - NABBED


Newsday/Jennifer Barrios

Authorities said yesterday that a law-enforcement venture that coupled countypolice with local, state and federal officials has captured 55 fugitives on Long Island, includinggang members and convicted sex offenders.  Operation Rolling Thunder was funded with a$30,000 grant from the state division of criminal justice.  Laura Ahearn, executive directorof Parents for Megan's law and The Crime Victims Center in Stony Brook, said that the arrests ofsix sex offenders came as a relief.  Studies have consistently shown that out-of-compliancesex offenders are much more likely to re-offend, and present a great risk to public safety, shesaid.  Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy said police officials routinely looked over listsof fugitives, even before Operation Rolling Thunder.  Still, When you get that extra grantmoney, it enables you to tremendously enhance your capacity to get a lot of them in a very shorttime.
(New York)