Policy Text
Policy
356Mountain View Police Department
Mountain View PD Policy Manual
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2019/12/16, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by Mountain View Police
DepartmentRegistered Offender Information - 1Registered Offender Information
356.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
This policy establishes guidelines by which the Mountain View Police Department will address
issues associated with certain offenders who are residing in the jurisdiction and how the
Department will disseminate information and respond to public inquiries for information about
registered sex, arson and drug offenders.
356.2 POLICY
It is the policy of the Mountain View Police Department to identify and monitor registered offenders
living within this jurisdiction and to take reasonable steps to address the risks those persons may
pose.
356.3 REGISTRATION
The Crimes Against Persons Unit Supervisor shall establish a process to reasonably
accommodate registration of certain offenders. The process should rebut any allegation on the
part of the offender that the registration process was too confusing, burdensome or difficult
for compliance. If it is reasonable to do so, an investigator assigned to related investigations
should conduct the registration in order to best evaluate any threat the person may pose to
the community. Employees assigned to register offenders should receive appropriate training
regarding the registration process.
Upon conclusion of the registration process, the investigator shall ensure that the registration
information is provided to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) in accordance with applicable
law (Health and Safety Code § 11594; Penal Code § 457.1; Penal Code § 290 et seq).
The refusal of a registrant to provide any of the required information or complete the process
should initiate a criminal investigation for failure to register.
356.3.1 CONTENTS OF REGISTRATION
The information collected from the registering offenders shall include a signed statement as
required by the California DOJ, fingerprints and a photograph and any other information required
by applicable law (Health and Safety Code § 11594; Penal Code § 457.1; Penal Code § 290 et
seq.).
356.4 MONITORING OF REGISTERED OFFENDERS
The Investigative Section Supervisor should establish a system to periodically, and at least once
annually, verify that a registrant remains in compliance with his/her registration requirements after
the initial registration. This verification should include:
(a)Efforts to confirm residence using an unobtrusive method, such as an Internet search
or drive-by of the declared residence.
(b)Review of information on the California DOJ website for sex offenders.
Mountain View Police Department
Mountain View PD Policy Manual
Registered Offender Information
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2019/12/16, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by Mountain View Police
DepartmentRegistered Offender Information - 2(c)Contact with a registrant's parole or probation officer.
Any discrepancies should be reported to the California DOJ.
The Investigative Section Supervisor should also establish a procedure to routinely disseminate
information regarding registered offenders to Mountain View Police Department personnel,
including timely updates regarding new or relocated registrants.
356.5 DISSEMINATION OF PUBLIC INFORMATION
Employees will not unilaterally make a public notification advising the community of a particular
registrant's presence in the community. Employees who identify a significant risk or other public
safety issue associated with a registrant should promptly advise their supervisor. The supervisor
should evaluate the request and forward the information to the Police Chief if warranted. A
determination will be made by the Police Chief, with the assistance of legal counsel as necessary,
whether such a public alert should be made.
Members of the public requesting information on sex registrants should be provided the Megan's
Law website or the Mountain View Police Department's website.
The Records Supervisor may release local registered offender information to residents only in
accordance with applicable law (Penal Code § 290.45; Penal Code § 290.46; Penal Code §
457.1; Health and Safety Code § 11594), and in compliance with a California Public Records Act
(Government Code § 6250-6276.48) request.
356.5.1 LIMITED RELEASE WITHIN COLLEGE CAMPUS COMMUNITY
California law allows the following additional information regarding a registered sex offender on
campus, whose information is not available to the public via the Internet website, to be released
to a campus community (Penal Code § 290.01(d)):
(a)The offender's full name
(b)The offender's known aliases
(c)The offender's sex
(d)The offender's race
(e)The offender's physical description
(f)The offender's photograph
(g)The offender's date of birth
(h)Crimes resulting in the registration of the offender under Penal Code § 290
(i)The date of last registration
For purposes of this section, campus community shall be defined as those persons present at
or regularly frequenting any place constituting campus property, satellite facilities, laboratories,
public areas contiguous to the campus and other areas set forth in Penal Code § 290.01(d).
Mountain View Police Department
Mountain View PD Policy Manual
Registered Offender Information
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2019/12/16, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by Mountain View Police
DepartmentRegistered Offender Information - 3356.5.2 RELEASE NOTIFICATIONS
Registrant information that is released should include notification that:
(a)The offender registry includes only those persons who have been required by law to
register and who are in compliance with the offender registration laws.
(b)The information is provided as a public service and may not be current or accurate.
(c)Persons should not rely solely on the offender registry as a safeguard against offenses
in their communities.
(d)The crime for which a