Legislation Helps Track Criminals Following Majors Disasters

Caddo Parish opened its arms to help Hurricane Rita and Katrina evacuees. Eventually, that hospitality turned into trouble for the sheriff`s office deputies faced a nearly impossible feat of monitoring all those people. Sheriff Prator wanted access to background information about the evacuees, however FEMA denied the request. "Pelican Haven had just a few people that had hundreds and hundreds of arrests, convictions and sex offenders and actual sex crimes that were occurring and the federal government was keeping the information from us, as was the State of Louisiana," explained Caddo Parish Sheriff, Steve Prator. Prator, along with numerous other law enforcement agencies across Louisiana reported the problem and demanded action. "We`d basically handcuffed law enforcement, instead of handcuffing the bad guys. We handcuffed law enforcement by not giving them valid information about convicted sex offenders, about people actively wanted," said U.S. Senator David Vitter. State Senator David Vitter figured out FEMA was not able to release information because of restrictive privacy laws. A final federal bill modified by Vitter`s legislation, allows FEMA to aid state attorneys general and state and local law enforcement in finding sex offenders following a major disaster along with a new provision which includes parole violators, escaped convicts and wanted criminals. "Some people disagreed with my idea but most people said yes this is ridiculous, why the law was written that way, we don`t know but have to change it," commented Senator Vitter. As for Sheriff Prator, he hopes he never has to hear these words again. "We`ve got the information, but we can`t give it to you."