Operation Grand Slam Focuses On High Risk Sex Offender Compliance

Operation’s Foundation:

• The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 was enacted on July 27, 2006. In addition to establishing a national sex offender registry law, the Act made significant changes to sexual abuse, exploitation, and transportation crimes. The Act created new substantive crimes, expanded federal jurisdiction over existing crimes, and increased statutory minimum and/or maximum sentences.

Operation’s Goal and Objective:

• Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement team up and perform Statewide Compliance checks on Tier III Registered Sex Offenders, the highest risk offenders.

Participating Law Enforcement Agencies:

• Delaware State Police Sex Offenders Apprehension and Registration Unit
• Delaware Attorney General’s Office
• New County Police Department
• Wilmington Police Department
• Delaware Probation and Parole
• Dover Police Department
• Georgetown Police Department
• Laurel Police Department
• United States Marshals Service District of Delaware
• U.S. Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Task Force-Salisbury, MD Office

Operation Grand Slam-Wednesday July 27, 2011 is the 5^th year anniversary of the signing of the Adam Walsh Act and the 30^th year anniversary of the kidnapping and death of Adam Walsh back in 1981. 

Operation Grand Slam was the result of a collaborative effort of numerous Law Enforcement organizations throughout Delaware, Maryland and also in conjunction with 3 districts in the State of Pennsylvania.

The joint compliance initiative combined approximately 40 Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Officers and began on June 27, 2011 in Sussex County Delaware, followed by Kent County the week of July 4^th, and New Castle County the week of July 11^th.  A fourth and final week culminated in a sex offender wanted persons round up the week of July 18, 2011.    

During Operation Grand Slam, 355 compliance checks were conducted statewide of Tier 3 High Risk Sex Offenders throughout Delaware.  A total of 9 offenders were found to be non-compliant for a compliance rate of over 97%.  The focus of the enforcement phase of the operation included any wanted sex offender in the state of Delaware. 

As a result of these enforcement efforts, 27 sex offenders were arrested including 25 for Failure to re-register or verify.  The number arrested included 8 Tier 3 offenders, 14 tier 2 offenders and 5 Tier 1 offenders.

The Marshals service for the District of Delaware opened 8 federal cases under provision of the Adam Walsh Act for ongoing investigation and potential prosecution based on information obtained during this operation.

Operation Grand Slam demonstrates how through the collaborative efforts of all Law Enforcement agencies, when working together can assist in making Delaware a safer place for our children to live and grow. 

This is part of the Delaware State Police’s Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit's (SOAR) ongoing effort to ensure our sex offender population is doing what they are legally required to do.

A 97 percent compliance rate is indicative that the system and its inherent safeguards/checks and balances are lending themselves to knowing where the population of Sex Offenders is residing within our community.

U. S. Marshals Office Comments: “The Marshals Service for the District of Delaware was glad to be a participant in this operation with our State and Local Law Enforcement partners, in making sure that all provisions of laws regarding sex offender’s registration compliance were being met. We will continue to assist our law enforcement partners with apprehending those non-compliant and wanted sex offenders so they will be held accountable for their actions. The Marshals Service is committed to making our communities and neighborhoods safer places to live”.

Comments from Attorney General Beau Biden: "Sex offenders are predators that have lost the right to disappear back into society,” said Attorney General Beau Biden, who worked to create Delaware's Child Predator Task Force in 2007 and last year announced that Delaware was the second state in the nation to implement the Federal Adam Walsh Act.  "The Adam Walsh Act and Delaware's tough child predator laws are powerful and effective tools that we're using to keep our kids safe.  I want to thank the Delaware State Police, the U.S. Marshal's Service, and the dozens of law enforcement agencies statewide for their work on this effort."