Although the Ames Police Department and county officials are currently working to compile a mapping system to better monitor local sex offenders, offenders at Iowa State are continually monitored through state and university coordination.

Both are part of a trend in Iowa to crack down on repeat sex offenders, set in motion by a new law that restricts where offenders can live.

Each month, the Department of Public Safety receives a notice from Iowa’s Division of Criminal Investigation indicating sex offenders employed by or attending Iowa State, ISU Police Capt. Gene Deisinger said.

As of early September, 13 names appeared on the list submitted to DPS.

Cross-referencing Ames residents found on the Iowa Sex Offender Registry with the ISU directory indicates at least three ISU students have been convicted of some type of sexual offense.

“There are quite probably a couple of students at Iowa State, but I wouldn’t know for sure without some checking,” Deisinger said.

The agency reporting the individuals does not specify an offender’s affiliation, whether he or she is part of the student body or a member of the faculty or staff, he said.

“We know that they’re enrolled or employed in the institution by indicators we have in our database,” said Gordon Miller, a DCI spokesman assigned to supervise the Iowa Sex Offender Registry program.

“They’re also required to re-register with us every time they change their address.”

The division identifies offenders, but it does not impose restrictions, he said.

“The law does not empower us to create requirements or conditions; we simply provide information to the university and leave it up to them to decide how they will handle those individuals,” Miller said.

DPS Director Jerry Stewart said further investigations are not typically needed.

“Any continued obligations would be imposed by the courts or through the requirements of the sex offender registry, particularly in regards to updating address information,” he said. “I’m not aware of any instances in recent months where registrants have failed to provide updated information. We typically work with Ames Police on a case-by-case basis to check names and addresses.”

Asking students about their criminal background is one way the university tries to ensure its community remains safe.

Part B of question 24 on the ISU admissions application asks: “Have you even been charged with a violation of the law which resulted in probation, community service, a jail sentence or the revocation or suspension of your license?”

“Once an applicant checks ‘yes,’ they need to submit a statement stating what they’ve said ‘yes’ to; they need to define the violation,” said Admissions Director Marc Harding.

Application conduct committees review certain applicants’ reported background; they are especially concerned with sex offenders, drug offenders and violent offenders, Harding said. Committee members make threat assessments before recommending whether he or she should be accepted.

“In the case of a sex offender, absolutely their application would go before a conduct committee,” Harding said.

Stipulations may be applied to sex offenders admitted to Iowa State.

“One of the processes to be aware of – some of these people may have been charged after they were already students, so admissions wouldn’t have known without having anything to flag them at the entry point,” Deisinger said.

Keith Bystrom, associate counsel for University Counsel, said whether the offenses occur before or after an offender is admitted determines the type of stipulation imposed by the university; mandatory meetings with the dean of students and restricted university housing arrangements are both options.

“It seems like last year there was at least one situation where a person had a prior sexual offense, and my recollection is, we recommended not to admit the applicant,” he said.