April 10, 2009
CDCR Administration Didn’t Warn Public, Police About Runaway Predator
…Parole agents told Valle that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation usually thinks it has a better chance of catching runaway parolees if there is no public outcry, which might make the parolee more careful about hiding.
"We don't normally notify the public," said Rodney Armstrong, administrator of the local CDCR parole division office. "It's on a case-by-case basis. We look at the case, and if would aid us in finding the person, then we would think about notifying the public. Our number one priority is public safety," Armstrong said. "We have to look at each case and decide if that would help or hinder us."
The department thought it best not to notify the public when Riley cut the satellite tracking device off his ankle on March 21. The GPS device worked perfectly, sending an immediate alarm to agents, who checked the South Vineland Road group home where Riley was supposed to be living. He was gone.
Even though high-risk sex offenders are the responsibility of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Bakersfield Police Department regularly sends detectives to check on them. That's how the BPD discovered Riley had gone into hiding…
LINK - KGET.com
