Sex offender software makes enforcement easier

By Todd South
The Chattanooga Times Free Press

TENNESSEE — One Walker County detective has the job of monitoring sex offenders, but with near-constant changes to state law, the job became overwhelming, the sheriff said.

"The sex offender laws were becoming so complicated and convoluted, we had to look at registering, monitoring and upkeep," said Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson. "We couldn't do it without some kind of software."

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Six months ago, Sheriff Wilson started a pilot program using Offender Watch, a privately run software system that correlates the data related to the 110 registered sex offenders in the county.

"I can search for right-handed sex offenders with a Ford pickup truck," said Sgt. Mason Brewer, who handles Walker's sex offender data.

Last week, the sheriff decided to adopt the program at a cost of $3,500 annually. Walker County is the only area Georgia sheriff's office to use the program.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs a statewide public registry that allows users to check names, addresses and the status of registered sex offenders. But state budget cuts last year reduced the number of employees working on the registry and the database is backlogged, often by more than a month, officials said.

Besides, Sgt. Brewer said, police collect far more information than is on the public Web site. The Offender Watch program makes precise searches much easier than doing it the old-fashioned way -- paper filings transferred from state agencies.

Offender Watch offers the public a direct benefit through e-mail alerts, Sheriff Wilson said. Residents can provide their addresses and e-mail information to the sheriff's Web site and the program will send them alerts if a registered sex offender moves within a certain distance of their home.

As an investigative tool, the new software could help in dealings with other law enforcement agencies, Sgt. Brewer said, by allowing him to share data on offenders registered in Walker County. He already has talked with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, he said.

Through the software, departments can transfer information almost immediately, which can help during a current investigation, he said.

The program also can save time and hassle by allowing police to check out addresses before a registered sex offender moves to the area, he said.

"We can enter our churches, schools and day cares and, when you register someone, it will tell you if it's too close to a location," Sgt. Brewer said.

BY THE NUMBERS

Registered sex offenders per county:

Catoosa -- 115

Chattooga -- 122

Dade -- 23

Gordon -- 102

Murray -- 86

Walker -- 110

Whitfield -- 168

Source: Georgia Bureau of Investigation