The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office has made it easier for county residents to locate registered sex offenders living in their neighborhoods.
The sheriff’s office recently added several new features to its Web site listing of sex offenders, including a countywide map plotting the general locations of offenders in certain neighborhoods.
"We think this will better serve the community and parents who want to protect their children," sheriff’s spokeswoman Jan Jorgensen said.
The state Community Protection Act, passed in 1990, requires sex offenders to register with law enforcement agencies. In many cases, police are able to share that information with the public.
Jorgensen said residents often call the sheriff’s office to ask if there are any sex offenders living near them. The sheriff’s office cannot release the specific address of an offender, but it does release general addresses.
The new Web site features are intended to make the information more accessible.
"People have the right to know," Jorgensen said. "This is just an easier way to get the information to people."
The largest upgrade to the site is an interactive map that allows users to look at specific neighborhoods to track offenders.
Residents can go to their neighborhood, click on the area, and the names and general addresses of offenders is displayed.
The map doesn’t include the names of Level 1 offenders, but it does indicate how many of those offenders live in the neighborhood.
Sex offenders are classified based on their likelihood to reoffend, with Level 3 offenders the most likely to reoffend.
The site also now features the names and general locations of Level 2 offenders.
The sheriff’s office chose to include Level 2 offenders on the list because it receives numerous inquires about these offenders.
The Web site lists the names of registered sex offenders who are homeless. It also lists the names of sex offenders who have failed to register and are considered missing, Jorgensen said.
The notices aren’t meant to alarm the public, but "knowing where the sex offenders are is the strongest way to protect your family," she said.
Go to www.co.snohomish.wa.us/sheriff.
Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
