Local Sex Offender Registry A Success
KENNEWICK, Wash. -- You won't find a day when Dianne McCants isn't working the phone or watching the web. In Benton County, there are 470 sex offenders. She keeps track of every one.
"If an offender's moved, we know it," McCants said.
On her desk are piles of neatly organized file folders and paperwork, of which, are all cases she's currently working on. Fortunately, it's manageable.
In the last two years, Benton and Franklin Counties traded up the antiquated, manual paper system for an online registry to manage sex offenders called "Offender Watch." As McCants describes it "there is no comparison."
Law enforcement can now quickly access an offender's record, movement, history and activities anywhere in the state. The kicker is, so can you. The Offender Watch website maps offenders in your neighborhood, tracks their history and sends you updates by the minute.
"It absolutely made the job 100 times easier," McCants continued.
Why?
Before, McCants said tracking sex offenders was "hit and miss." Action News found, before the program, if a sex offender moved, detectives couldn't always be certain the new county's law enforcement agency registered that person.
Not anymore.
The digital registry cuts down processing time between departments and allows counties to share information to track people down more quickly.
Franklin County Sheriff Richard Lathim said his office tracks 200 sex offenders. He told KEPR, his deputies have arrested dozens of offenders who've violated their registration conditions. In 2009, for instance, 36 sex offenders were arrested in Pasco and Franklin County for not living where they were registered.
Level 1 sex offenders are verified at their home once a year, level 2's are verified every six months and level 3's are verified every 90 days.
By law, detectives still goes door-to-door to make sure sex offenders are living by the law but, for those who do run, people are there to track them down every step of the way. It's a streamlined system to make sure no one slips through the cracks.
Benton County said the next step is to synchronize this program with other states.
BENTON COUNTY OFFENDER WATCH WEBSITE: http://www.icrimewatch.net/index.php?AgencyID=54457
For questions concerning the Benton County sex offender community awareness program, please contact:
Benton County Sheriff's Office
7122 West Okanogan Place Bldg. A
Kennewick, WA 99336
Telephone: (509)735-6555 ext. 3843
Email: dianne.mccants@co.benton.wa.us
Main website: http://www.co.benton.wa.us/pview.aspx?id=714&catID=45
FRANKLIN COUNTY OFFENDER WATCH WEBSITE: http://www.sheriffalerts.com/cap_main.php?office=54467
For questions concerning the Franklin County sex offender community awareness program, please contact:
Franklin County Sheriff's Office
1016 North 4th Avenue Pasco, WA 99301
Telephone: (509) 545-3527
Email: lcantu@co.franklin.wa.us
Main website: http://www.co.franklin.wa.us/sheriff
"If an offender's moved, we know it," McCants said.
On her desk are piles of neatly organized file folders and paperwork, of which, are all cases she's currently working on. Fortunately, it's manageable.
In the last two years, Benton and Franklin Counties traded up the antiquated, manual paper system for an online registry to manage sex offenders called "Offender Watch." As McCants describes it "there is no comparison."
Law enforcement can now quickly access an offender's record, movement, history and activities anywhere in the state. The kicker is, so can you. The Offender Watch website maps offenders in your neighborhood, tracks their history and sends you updates by the minute.
"It absolutely made the job 100 times easier," McCants continued.
Why?
Before, McCants said tracking sex offenders was "hit and miss." Action News found, before the program, if a sex offender moved, detectives couldn't always be certain the new county's law enforcement agency registered that person.
Not anymore.
The digital registry cuts down processing time between departments and allows counties to share information to track people down more quickly.
Franklin County Sheriff Richard Lathim said his office tracks 200 sex offenders. He told KEPR, his deputies have arrested dozens of offenders who've violated their registration conditions. In 2009, for instance, 36 sex offenders were arrested in Pasco and Franklin County for not living where they were registered.
Level 1 sex offenders are verified at their home once a year, level 2's are verified every six months and level 3's are verified every 90 days.
By law, detectives still goes door-to-door to make sure sex offenders are living by the law but, for those who do run, people are there to track them down every step of the way. It's a streamlined system to make sure no one slips through the cracks.
Benton County said the next step is to synchronize this program with other states.
BENTON COUNTY OFFENDER WATCH WEBSITE: http://www.icrimewatch.net/index.php?AgencyID=54457
For questions concerning the Benton County sex offender community awareness program, please contact:
Benton County Sheriff's Office
7122 West Okanogan Place Bldg. A
Kennewick, WA 99336
Telephone: (509)735-6555 ext. 3843
Email: dianne.mccants@co.benton.wa.us
Main website: http://www.co.benton.wa.us/pview.aspx?id=714&catID=45
FRANKLIN COUNTY OFFENDER WATCH WEBSITE: http://www.sheriffalerts.com/cap_main.php?office=54467
For questions concerning the Franklin County sex offender community awareness program, please contact:
Franklin County Sheriff's Office
1016 North 4th Avenue Pasco, WA 99301
Telephone: (509) 545-3527
Email: lcantu@co.franklin.wa.us
Main website: http://www.co.franklin.wa.us/sheriff
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