WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. federal relief agency has agreed to cross-check a list of convicted sex offenders against a list of those receiving aid after Hurricane Katrina.
On Oct. 13, Vice Adm. Thad Allen, the Coast Guard chief of staff leading the federal response to Katrina, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency would begin cross-checking its database for sex offenders and parolees.
But local law enforcement officials told the Washington Post the work has still not begun.
Cliff Herberg, the first assistant district attorney in Bexar County, Texas, is frustrated with the delay following the Aug. 29 storm.
"We're hearing a lot of pretty words, but nothing is happening," Herberg said. "Basically, FEMA is aiding and abetting these people as they hide from law enforcement."
Authorities say the cross-checking is important because convicted sex offenders, who could be among the hundreds of thousands of evacuees, must be made to register to comply with state and federal laws.
