Police Too Few To Keep Track Of Sex Offenders

Politicians called for tighter controls on paedophiles last night after it emerged that Scotland’s most serious sex offenders are evading police because there are not enough officers to keep track of them.

In some parts of the country, there is only one police officer to track every 100 paedophiles, while nationwide just 56 police are thought to be keeping tabs on 3,230 registered sex criminals.

Politicians yesterday branded reports that the police do not have the resources to properly monitor the whereabouts of convicted sex offenders “extremely alarming” and called on the Scottish Executive to provide more cash for policing and tighter legislation.

It comes just days after First Minister Jack McConnell vowed to investigate whether improvements could be made to check up on convicted paedophiles following news that 24 sex offenders were missing in Scotland.

The figure was released in response to questions asked in Holyrood following the death of Polish student Angelika Kluk, 23, in Glasgow.

According to insiders, there are just 15 officers in the sex offenders unit in Strathclyde, despite it being the biggest force in Scotland. Each officer is trying to keep track of 100 sex offenders.

Northern Constabulary was the second-worst-resourced force, with just three officers to monitor 215 registered offenders – leaving each officer responsible for tracking 72 offenders.

Grampian fared better, with six officers keeping tabs on 220 offenders, while central Scotland came off best, with four specialists looking after 60 offenders.

Moray SNP MSP Richard Lochhead called last night for more funding to help police protect communities from sex offenders.

He said: “The admission by police that they do not have resources to keep track of sex offenders is extremely alarming.

“Very clearly the Government has failed to make available the resources to protect communities from sex offenders.

“Ministers cannot, on the one hand, demand that the police take specific measures to keep track of individuals on the register and, on the other, deny them the resources to allow them to do this.”