Residents can now keep closer eye on sex offenders

NEW DATABASE ALLOWS INTERNET SEARCH BY ADDRESS, CITY OR ZIP CODE

Wednesday, November 1, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

NEWTON -- The Catawba County Sheriff's Office on Monday launched a new database that will help residents track and monitor sex offenders living in their communities.

The program, OffenderWatch, enables residents with an Internet connection to search for sex offenders, including pedophiles, by an address, city or ZIP code, said Sheriff David Huffman.


Currently, 188 sex offenders live in Catawba County, Huffman said, and about 24 of those are pedophiles or considered sexual predators.
Mecklenburg County launched a similar program last year, Huffman said. Since then, nine N.C. sheriff's offices, including Catawba County, have created OffenderWatch databases. Similar databases are used by 300 sheriff's offices in 24 states.

Previously, parents could search the state's database for sex offenders living in their area, but Huffman said the new program gives more flexibility in the searches.

Parents, he said, can search for sex offenders living within a mile of their homes, children's schools, daycare facilities, playgrounds and swimming pools. The program then generates a map, identifying the areas where sex offenders live.

They can also sign up for e-mail alerts, which notifies parents when a sex offender moves into the neighborhood. Residents without Internet service can choose to receive alerts in the mail, Huffman said.

Officials are planning to set up a computer in the lobby of the Sheriff's Office in Newton and work with libraries in Catawba County to provide residents better access to the program.


Go Online

The Web address for OffenderWatch is www.watchsystems.com/ nc/catawba.


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