Purpose:
This policy establishes procedures for the registration of predatory offenders and to provide for community notification, as deemed appropriate, relative to the release of those offenders, while maintaining the legally required privacy and other rights of those offenders.
It is the policy of this department to provide the information authorized by law consistent with the needs of public safety and the legal rights of the offender. The Department will exercise any and all discretion afforded by applicable laws.
Authority:
Minnesota Statute 243.166 — Predatory Offender Registration
Minnesota Statute 244.052 — Community Notification (Prison)
Minnesota Statute 244.053 — Community Notification (non-prison)
Minnesota Statute Chapter 13 — MN Government Data Practices Act
Registration Process
If an offender is not registered in the state of Minnesota and is living in the City of Saint Paul, the offender is required to meet with local law enforcement and register as a predatory offender. This initial registration process will be completed by the Predatory Offender Registration (POR) Unit. The offender must meet in person and complete a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) POR Form. DNA will be collected (pursuant to Minnesota Statute 299C.105 Subd. 1) by the officer registering the offender. The offender will also have photographs taken by the registering officer. The registration form, DNA, and photographs will be sent into the BCA.
If an offender is registered and is moving to or moving within the City of Saint Paul then the offender must come into the Saint Paul Police Department and make contact with the POR Unit to make changes to his/her registration. These changes are made on a BCA Change of Information (COI) form. This must be done in person and a signature is required on all paperwork. Offenders must complete in person the following changes:
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Primary Residence
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Secondary Residence
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School
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Employment
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Vehicles
The paperwork will be forwarded to BCA by the POR unit.
The contact phone number for the BCA POR unit is 651-793-7070 or 1-888-234-1248.
Homeless offenders are required to meet once a week within the jurisdiction in which they are staying. All homeless offenders living within the City of Saint Paul are required to register. The offender will meet with a POR officer and complete a one-page BCA Lack of Primary Address Form which needs to be signed by the offender. This paperwork will then be forwarded to the BCA by the POR unit.
Community Notification
The Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) will provide the department with notification of sexual offenders as defined in Minnesota Statute 243.166 at least 14 days prior to release from prison or parole. The notification will be in the form of “Offender Fact Sheets.”
The contact phone number for the DOC POR unit is 651-361-7275.
Community notification does not involve offenders assigned to licensed half-way houses, healthcare facilities or residential treatment programs. It also does not apply to those offenders under continued supervision of the DOC sentenced to community correction facilities or individuals that lack a primary address and are required to register on a weekly basis.
Levels of Risk / Notification: There are three levels of risk that offenders may be assigned by the DOC. Notification must be planned within two weeks after the DOC notifies the department.
Level One
Lowest risk level: Local law enforcement will be notified when an offender moves to the city as well as any victims within the city that request that information.
Level Two
Moderate risk level: Partial community notification is applicable to where a possible victim may be, based upon where the offender is living, working or visiting. Examples are local home day cares/day care centers, schools, parks and recreation centers. Law enforcement is required to notify these establishments, which is usually done by mailing out a letter however it can be done verbally, electronically, or by the discretion of the POR unit to meet the notification requirements.
Level Three
Highest risk level: Information on all level three offenders are public data to include: name, birth date, physical description, photo, offense information, and the block in which s/he is living. The DOC will place the level three offender on a public website after they receive the authorization from the law enforcement that has jurisdiction on where the offender is living. The community will be notified by a mailing, full community notification, phone message, electronically or at the discretion of the Saint Paul Police Department.
The offender is not allowed to attend the community notification meeting if the offender is the topic, pursuant to Minnesota Statute 244.052 subd. 4.
Unassigned Risk Levels
The POR unit has the authority to request the DOC to evaluate the offender if the offender is moving to Minnesota from another state to determine if a risk level is needed. If this is not requested, an unassigned risk level offender can be treated as a level two offender on out of state offenders per Minnesota Statute 244.052 subd 3A (e).
The BCA will also notify the POR unit on all offenders with risk levels, as well as offenders without risk levels who move to or within the City of Saint Paul. Clerical will then notify each district of these changes.
Risk levels are assigned to registrants who are released from prison on or after January 1, 1997. Juvenile offenders convicted of a predatory offense are not assigned a risk level. Out of state offenders are not assigned a risk level but one can be requested (see above). Offenders who have not been subject to the prison system are not assigned a risk level.
Data Practices:
Some level three POR data is public and available on the BCA POR Web site. Other information is private and to be used for law enforcement purposes (Minnesota Statute Chapter 13).
Revised September 30, 2019