There are 89 registered sex offenders now being managed by the Police.
The Chief Constable revealed the figure as he said new legislation has placed “significant demand” on its resources.
Russ Foster told a committee the Sexual Offences and Obscene Publications Act had caused a “55% increase in our workload” for related investigations.
Of the 89 offenders, 70 are supervised in the community.
Rise
Mr Foster said the rise included many “non-recent” offences, defined as those occurring “in excess of 12 months before the date reported”.
He attributed the increase to greater “confidence in law enforcement” among victims.
A review of the Act’s implementation, led by KC Kate Blackwell, is now underway. Mr Foster said it will examine “the impact on demand and resourcing, which I really welcome”.
To manage the growing demand, the Constabulary has submitted a business case for “additional Detective Sergeant and six detective constables” to the Department of Home Affairs.
Despite the pressure, Mr Foster stated the legislation is “absolutely the right thing to do” to protect victims.