Registry updated through Sheriff's Department
Improved sex offender registry offered
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

According to Ripley County Sheriff Bill Davison an improved sex offender registry website offers more options to residents who want to keep up with who is living next door to them.

According to Toni Gray, deputy matron at the Ripley County Sheriff's Department, the improvements make it faster to update information and includes a mapping system.

Governor Mitch Daniels, whose office is a partner in the initiative to update the website, said the Indiana sheriffs now have access to a new web-based sex offender administrative tool that helps maintain accurate information on offenders. Gray noted that information is updated within 24 hours of a change.

"The mapping part is more comprehensive and pinpoints sex offenders who are registered," Gray noted.

For example, you can access the website at www.indianasheriffs.org and search for a known offender by name, city, county or zip code. The site maps the location of the offender, gives an offender profile that includes home and work address, conviction information and photograph.

This single state-of-the-art website provides information about offenders who are convicted of rape, child molestation, sexual misconduct with a minor, incest, criminal confinement and similar crimes. These of fenders are required to register with the sheriff's department annually in the county in which they live, work or study.

If you don't know the names of offenders but want to know if you are iving next to one, simply go to the website and enter your address. The map will pinpoint your address and then give location of any sex offender in close proximity.

The states Department of Correction Commissioner J. David Donahue noted, "Hoosiers have new insight into those living near them and their families."

"The notification function of the registry brings public information directly to Hoosiers, giving people one more layer of protection for their families and loved ones," said Attorney General Steve Carter. "The collaborative effort of this project is to be commended for the ultimate goal of providing better services to citizens."

Another new feature to the registry will allow program users to pre-register for e-mail notifications when sex offenders move nearby. The Criminal Alert Network (CAN) is sponsored by the National Attorney General's Office. This allows residents to receive notice as soon as a new sex offender is registered and lives within a reasonably specified radius of an address registered by the user.

Sex offenders who reside in Ripley County are required upon their release from incarceration to report to the Ripley County Sheriff's Department within seven days. There they are fingerprinted, photographed and are required to give proof of pertinent information including address and employment status, etc.

Gray noted that you can get information on sex offenders through the sheriff's department if you don't have access to a computer. "There is a list posted in the lobby," she noted.

Gray recently attended training on the updated website on January 12, along with Rachel Curl. Curl is responsible for entering Ripley County information into the state and national data bases known as IDACS (Indiana Data and Communications System) and NCIC (National Crime Information Center). She is employed as a dispatcher with 911 Communications Center.

Maintained by the Indiana Sheriff's Association, the Indiana Sheriff's Sex Offender Registry is a joint project involving Governor Daniels' Office, the Indiana Department of Correction, Attorney General Steve Carter, Indiana State Police, and the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

Michael Eslinger, executive director of the Indiana Sheriff's Association, said, "We believe the website will be more user friendly. It is important the sex offender registry be the best it can be to ensure the safety of our children and other victims."

The project was funded through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. "The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (CJI) is pleased to provide the necessary funding to ensure that Indiana's new Sex Offender Registry is an effective tool in protecting the public," said Heather Bolejack, CJI executive director.

There are 50 registered sex offenders in Ripley County at this time, according to Gray. "Some of those are incarcerated at this time," she noted.

"Protecting families in Ripley County is a top priority for this administration. This registry is an effective tool to enhance public safety and allow residents to stay informed. We're proud to be involved in this partnership and to be working with state officials to keep the community safe," concluded Sheriff Bill Davison.

WANDA ENGLISH BURNETT PHOTO

Deputy Matron Toni Gray and Sheriff Bill Davison check out the improved sex offender registry website. Gray updates the information within 24 hours of any changes.