On the evening of July 29, 1994, seven-year-old Megan Kanka was tricked into a neighbor’s home in Hamilton Township, New Jersey. The neighbor was a twice-convicted child molester who had told Megan he wanted to show her a puppy. The neighbor ended up sexually molesting and murdering her.
In response to the sexual assault and murder of Megan Kanka by a convicted sex offender, the federal government passed legislation making it mandatory for all sex offenders to register with local law enforcement, and for the information to be available to the public. All states now have a form of Megan's Law.
For more than 50 years, California has required sex offenders to register with their local law enforcement agencies. However, information on the whereabouts of these sex offenders was not available to the public until the implementation of the Child Molester Identification Line in July 1995. The information available was further expanded by California's Megan's Law in 1996 (Chapter 908, Stats. of 1996).
A new California law, Assembly Bill 488 (Nicole Parra), sponsored by the Attorney General now provides the public with Internet access to detailed information on registered sex offenders.
This expanded access allows the public for the first time to use their personal computers to view information on sex offenders required to register with local law enforcement under California's Megan's Law. Previously, the information was available only by personally visiting police stations and sheriff offices by calling a 900 toll-number. The new law was given final passage by the Legislature on August 24, 2004, and signed by the Governor on September 24, 2004.
California's Megan's Law provides the public with certain information on the whereabouts of sex offenders so that members of our local communities may protect themselves and their children.
Visit Megan's Law Web Site for the California Department of Justice.
Narcotics Interdiction
The Ontario Police Department Narcotics Division has the distinction of being, not only the second largest in San Bernardino County but also the finest. The philosophy of the Narcotics Division is to place officers in as many diverse and varied assignments as feasible to combat illicit narcotic activity in our City and the region surrounding it.
Officers assigned to local enforcement have been divided into two groups; street and mid-level teams. The remaining officers have been assigned to task forces to investigate major manufacturer/distribution organizations and smuggling rings. There are numerous benefits of task forces, but primarily they are developed to allow a number of agencies to pool their resources to effectively attack a common problem.
The task forces Ontario participates in are:
- Inland Empire Clandestine Laboratory Task Force
- Inland Regional Narcotic Enforcement Task Force
- Drug Enforcement Administration Riverside Task Force
- High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area
Both the Street and Mid-level Teams are supported by a lieutenant, three sergeants, an asset forfeiture coordinator, a narcotic detection canine, and two clerical workers. An added feature has been the Upland Police Department who joined Ontario’s narcotics unit in 1996.
By including their investigators with these teams, both agencies can more effectively combat the serious drug problem in both cities.
Each component of the Narcotics Division works together to network information. By utilizing their individual resources to complete an investigation, whether it is a dealer at the corner house or cartel organization, we can be more effective in the war against drugs.
Of importance is our interest in the narcotics problems both big and small, here in Ontario and Upland. Our effectiveness can only grow, as citizens become more actively involved. We encourage citizens to call with any information regarding such activity. To aid anyone willing to call and provide information, we have provided some helpful criteria to make it easier when trying to determine what our investigators need.
Suspect and Crime Information
Type of criminal activity:
Suspect name:
Address:
Age or date of birth:
Race:
Height:
Weight:
Eye Color:
Distinguishing marks, scars, tattoos:
Pager number:
Weapons:
Vehicle Information
Make:
Year/model:
License:
Color:
Anyone can call with information:
Ontario Police Narcotics, (909) 408-1835, or To report Crime, call "We Tip" at 1-800-78-WeTip
If you have been injured or threatened with injury as a result of a crime, the state may pay for any out of pocket costs, excluding personal property. For further information, contact one of the following:
District Attorney’s Office Victim Advocate based at Ontario Police Department – (909) 408-1073. Bilingual – Spanish
Victim Witness Program at the District Attorney’s Office located in Rancho – (909) 94-4241, Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm http://www.sbcountyda.org/ [sbcountyda.org]
The Safe Return Program is a public safety program designed to protect and locate missing persons. A registry database developed by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department for people who may need special assistance allows officers to match data with lost individuals to reconnect them with their loved ones.
If a loved one goes missing, a picture and description is immediately available, along with other valuable information, such as the person's condition and placed he or she may tend to wander.
The Safe Return Program is intended to serve people with developmental disabilities and/or medical conditions that increase their risk of wandering off and becoming lost.
www.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/safereturn
