Offender Watch Tool Helps Citizens Monitor Whereabouts of Sex Offenders, LIVINGSTON, October 2, 2008 - The Polk County Sheriff's Office now has a feature on its website that allows citizens to monitor the whereabouts of sex offenders. Offender Watch is the nation's leading registered sex offender management and community notification tool with hundreds of leading agencies in dozens of states utilizing it. Sheriff Hammack has now made this useful tool available to the citizens of Polk County. "Now citizens can search for the presence of sex offenders in close proximity to their homes, place of work, schools, and day care centers" Hammack said. The website program allows citizens to register their address to be continually monitored by the system. If an offender moves within 1 mile of the citizen's address, and email will be sent to that citizen to alert them. "The purpose of the program is to lessen the anxiety of citizens by proactively alerting citizens if an offender/predator moves within proximity to them, and to enhance the security and safety of the citizens of Polk County". Sheriff Hammack was proud to get the program going for Polk County, "I promised the citizens of Polk County that I would do everything within my power to protect them, and this is just one more tool we can use to do that" Hammack said. The Sheriff's office encourages citizens to take advantage of this program and also, if and when problems are discovered with the program to alert the S.O. by contacting Captain J.R. Jones at 936-327-6810.
If you would like to comment on this story, we'd love to hear from you. Your name will be listed with your comment when it's posted in the Letters to the editor.
