Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 2, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba paedophile found Winnipeg free press wednesday August 2, 2006 a5 sex offender registry rapped too hard for police to use City inspector maintains by Bruce Owen a Winnipeg police commander yesterday criticized Ottawa a nation Al sex offender registry As being too hard to use for police trying to track repeat paedophiles like Peter Whitmore. Insp. Al Scott said police can to get into the registry unless they re investigating a sexual offence. We can to just Access the registry on any missing persons Case he said. Law enforcement in Canada has Long sought for improvements in the registry because we find it very Scott was responding to suggestions City police could have used the National database ? there Are 13,550 known offenders registered including Whitmore ? in their search for Jordan Bruyere. Bruyere 14, was left with Whitmore in Brandon by his Stepfather More than a week ago after Whitmore convinced him to return to Winnipeg to pick up $2,000 for a car Whit More was supposedly buying. Scott said Bruyere a parents reported their son missing to police when Whitmore failed to return him to the City. He said police started investigating but were cautious in issuing an Amber Alert and Labelling Bruyere Scase an abduction As the step father had Given permission for Jordan to be with Whit More. Bruyere also has a his tory of running away. Confusing the situation was that Whit More had Given the family a false name Robert summer. When police searched the name on the Canadian police information Centre database they found nothing Matching a description of the Man the family had Given. Scott said what also did to help was that City police were unaware Whitmore was in Winnipeg despite a Canada wide warrant being issued for his arrest by Alberta ramp july 14. Normally police agencies notify one another when known sexual offenders move from one province to another but because Whitmore was travelling under a false name there was no Way to know he was in Winnipeg. Ramp Cpl. Al Fraser said the warrant was put out after Whitmore failed to show up in a Morinville alta., court to voluntarily agree to new restrictions preventing him being within 300 metres of children and staying in regular con tact with police. Fraser said at that time Whitmore was free of any other court or parole restrictions. Whitmore a three year sentence for breaching a probation order related to past sexual offences against children expired june 16. Once he a free and Clear he has rights and freedoms As any other Canadian Fraser said. Its not that hard for some one to disappear. Its a huge Law enforcement in Canada has Long sought for improve ments in the registry because we find it very restrictive ? Insp. Al Scott at the time Whitmore was living in Chilliwack but he never returned. Scott said the first inkling City police had Whitmore was with Bruyere was Sun Day shortly after 10-year-old Zachary Miller was taken from his Home in a White Wood sask. Ramp identified him through information they obtained Scott said. They were privy to some evidence we were not he said declining to go into details. Ramp Insp. Art Crockett who a in charge of the National sex offender registry no said the two year old registry is a valuable tool for police investigating sex crimes. Its been used 44 times by police across Canada to Date. Beyond Borders president Rosalind Prober whose association advocates the Protection of children said besides restricting Access to police the nor also does not allow Public Access and fails to list All offenders. She said parents or guardians or any one else should be Able to use it to Safe guard children As Many sex offenders repeat their crimes. Ottawa is to review the legislation sur rounding the registry in december. Beyond Borders is considering recommending changes to Ottawa at that time. Toews wants to get Tough on paedophiles by Paul Samyn Ottawa ? Federal Justice minister Vic Toews wants to toughen Canadas Legal system in the Wake of the manhunt for convicted paedophile Peter Whitmore ? including the possibility of mandatory parole like restrictions for dangerous offenders who have served their full jail sentences. Toews said the Whitmore Case has strengthened his belief that Canada needs to borrow from the american approach of tacking on restrictions even if the full prison term has been served so that authorities can Monitor the convicts return to society. We should never be releasing dangerous offenders cold into society Toews said in an interview yesterday. Toews spoke to the free press shortly after 10-year-old Zachary Miller was found alive on an abandoned farm near Kipling sask. How monitoring works. Known sexual offenders in Manitoba Are monitored by the integrated ramp Winnipeg police High risk offender unit. The unit currently monitors 47 people eight of whom Are in custody. Of those offenders 12 live a so called 810 order. Section 810 of the criminal code allows Law enforcement to seek a peace Bond against an offender when there Are reasonable grounds the person will commit a sexual offence against a child. The Bond often taken out against offenders being released from prison at end of their sen tence restricts their movements and behaviour especially in areas where children Are known to be present such As playgrounds and schools. There Are also 13,500 sexual offenders registered under Canadas National sex offender registry about 400 of them living in Manitoba. Sexual offenders in the criminal jus Tice system since dec. 2004 Are required by Law to Register their addresses. Toews said because Whitmore ? who had a Long record of sexual offences against children ? had fully served his last sentence there was no Way the courts could prevent his release even if they were certain he would re offend. Toews parole idea would give the Legal system a better Way to keep an Eye on convicts once they Are out of jail. Toews Provencher said he believes there was nothing preventing the courts from declaring Whitmore a dangerous offender when he was last sentenced. There could have been a dangerous offender application by one of the provincial attorney Toews said the easiest Way to use the dangerous offender provision to protect society is to get the county a Justice ministers to agree to a Standard protocol which would ensure the rarely used criminal code Section is More frequently used regardless of the province. Failing that Toews said he could look into legislation which would require judges to consider the provision if cer Tain requirements Are met. Does it need to be a protocol does it need to be actual legislation Toews asked. That is something my depart ment is examining in conjunction with provincial departments at this during the election Campaign the tories promised to create presumption of a dangerous offender designation for anyone convicted and sentenced to fed eral custody for three violent or sexual offences. Toews said he is now rethinking that three strikes Promise following the Whitmore Case As it May need to also apply in the Case of sentences served in provincial jails. Manitoba a Federal Cabinet minister said he is greatly impressed by the Way the Amber Alert system worked in help ing track Down Whitmore who is also believed to have abducted 14-year-old Jordan Bruyere of Winnipeg. ;