Sex offenders in Allen County could soon have to pay to be on the registry.
It's either pay, or face more in fines.
County officials say the money would help to keep you safer by keeping the registry online.
The Allen County Commissioners vote tomorrow to force sex offenders to pay fifty dollars a year to list their names and addresses in the county's registry.
"I tell people, government is supposed to provide service to the public. One of those basics is public safety. And we need to make sure that we do what we can to recoup whatever fees we can, but also providing public safety does cost money," Allen County Sheriff Ken Fries says.
Fries says last year, the 441 registered offenders would have paid over $21,000.
That money, he said, would help with the over $150,000 it costs to maintain the registry each year.
"We have three full-time employees that do the registry, along with the two vehicles they use to go out and check. And if we didn't partnership with Fort Wayne Police Department, and New Haven, doing all the verification checks, it would take substantially more people," Fries says.
And a lot more money.
He says the fifty bucks is no different than user fees charged for other county services.
"There's a lot of different fees that are charged to individuals that break laws that are relative to whatever they have done," Allen County Commissioner Therese Brown says.
If someone doesn't pay the fee, Fries says they will take them to small claims court, where fines could triple.
If the Commissioners approve it, it would go into effect immediately.
It's either pay, or face more in fines.
County officials say the money would help to keep you safer by keeping the registry online.
The Allen County Commissioners vote tomorrow to force sex offenders to pay fifty dollars a year to list their names and addresses in the county's registry.
"I tell people, government is supposed to provide service to the public. One of those basics is public safety. And we need to make sure that we do what we can to recoup whatever fees we can, but also providing public safety does cost money," Allen County Sheriff Ken Fries says.
Fries says last year, the 441 registered offenders would have paid over $21,000.
That money, he said, would help with the over $150,000 it costs to maintain the registry each year.
"We have three full-time employees that do the registry, along with the two vehicles they use to go out and check. And if we didn't partnership with Fort Wayne Police Department, and New Haven, doing all the verification checks, it would take substantially more people," Fries says.
And a lot more money.
He says the fifty bucks is no different than user fees charged for other county services.
"There's a lot of different fees that are charged to individuals that break laws that are relative to whatever they have done," Allen County Commissioner Therese Brown says.
If someone doesn't pay the fee, Fries says they will take them to small claims court, where fines could triple.
If the Commissioners approve it, it would go into effect immediately.
