Monday, October 25, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Henderson's 'sex offender lady'

Former sex crimes detective makes sure offenders register, lets neighbors know

Henderson Police Department Detective Tricia Longworth keeps track of the city's 500-plus sex offenders. Photo by Craig L. Moran.

One side of Tricia Longworth's desk is adorned with snapshots of her kids, a Celine Dion poster, and a pink "Princess Parking Only" sign.

On the other side hang menacing photos of the worst sex offenders in Henderson. They have committed unspeakable acts against the most innocent of victims, but Longworth won't let them out of her mind.

"You need to know where they are and know what they're doing," she said.

From now on, Longworth will make sure she knows.

Her new assignment with the Henderson Police Department puts her in charge of tracking sex offenders who live in the city.

"I have a soft spot for kids, and being a mother, there's always a part of you that wants to protect," the former sex crimes detective said.

Before Longworth took the job last month, the task of keeping up with the city's sex offenders fell to sex crimes detectives who checked up on offenders when they had time between criminal investigations.

Department leaders decided a detective was necessary to do the job full-time.

"We have 500-plus sex offenders in our city, and we need to know where they are," Capt. Michael Garner said.

Losing track of sex offenders is a problem nationwide, said Scott Matson, a researcher with the Center for Sex Offender Management in Silver Spring, Md.

Every state depends on the honesty of offenders to keep their address and other information up to date. When they don't register, they are considered noncompliant and could face penalties.

In Nevada, offenders are required to register at least every year with their local law enforcement agency. Failing to register is a felony. But that hasn't stopped 1,835 of the state's 4,786 known sex offenders from not updating their registrations or not registering at all, according to statistics from the Nevada Department of Public Safety.

Matson said few law enforcement agencies across the nation have officers dedicated to tracking sex offenders.

As Henderson's first such officer, Longworth has a lot of work to do. She's building a database of the city's sex offenders and contacting them to update their information.

For the most part, sex offenders follow the law and register when they're supposed to, she said. But for those who believe the detective will be a pushover, Longworth has a message.

"If you are in my city of Henderson and you have not registered, you are not going to get away," she said. "You are going to jail."

Besides tracking offenders, Longworth is in charge of notifying the community when certain offenders move into new areas.

She was put to the test early with the case of Ronald Hippie, who was convicted of attempted lewd conduct with a child in 1994.

When Hippie moved to Henderson, Longworth made sure every residence within a mile of his home was notified.

That included mailing 10,000 fliers, having 1,000 more hand delivered and holding a community meeting.

"It's just gratifying to know that people want to know what's going on in the community and that I can help them," said Longworth, a six-year department veteran.

Longworth said she's dedicated to protecting her community, even if her new assignment has earned her the nickname "sex offender lady."

"It's growing on me," she said.