Resident asks Susanville City Council to review police offender registry

Ronald Wood told the Susanville City Council during public comment that he is seeking a formal review of the police department's offender registry and questioned its transparency and compliance with state law. "My name is Ronald Wood. I've been a resident of Susanville for 30 years and a business owner for 19," Wood said, and asked the council to investigate why the local registry is not publicly accessible.

Wood named a specific individual, William Paulson, and said he had contacted the department more than five months earlier with information about convictions in New Jersey. He told the council he also contacted the state attorney general's office; staff there, he said, intervened but did not receive a return call from the local police chief. Wood asked the council to provide a history of the city's registry (when it was created, who is listed, whether the city has a legal connection with the state registry) and to clarify whether the department's internal list fulfills the obligations of California's Megan's Law.

"The law is clear. There's no statute of limitations for convicted *** offenders or registration," Wood said, arguing the city's process may not be compliant.

Mayor and staff did not provide a detailed policy response during public comment; the mayor indicated she had communicated the matter to the city manager and staff noted Wood had contacted the attorney general. The council did not take immediate action during the meeting but did not dismiss the concerns; Wood left the council with a request for further review and answers about the registry's creation, membership and public access.

Next steps: The council did not vote on a formal review at the meeting. Residents who raised the issue asked for further follow-up from the city manager and the police department.