State first to e-mail alerts about sex offenders

Posted on Tue, Dec. 27, 2005

When they move, neighbors can be warned via the Internet
LISA NEFF
The Herald
TALLAHASSEE - Florida has become the first state to partner with a Family Watchdog network to provide e-mail alerts when a registered sex offender settles in next door, in the neighborhood - or even within a one-mile radius.
Floridians can either go to myFloridaLegal.com or FamilyWatchdog.us to subscribe to the e-mail alerts. The Web sites also provide cybersurfers with neighborhood maps containing color-coded details about where registered sex offenders live and the types of crimes they committed, as well as tips on keeping children safe and general information on the issue.
"Nothing is more important than the protection of our children," Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist said in a statement announcing the partnership. "We are pleased to alert our citizens to this new tool that can help parents keep track of those who are prone to destroy lives. Sexual predators are likely to commit similar crimes again, so parents need to know when these individuals move into the neighborhood."
The state's partnership with Family Watchdog, part of the Amber Alert network, earned praise from national child safety advocates Julie Clark and John Walsh, of "America's Most Wanted" fame.
"I applaud Gov. Bush and Attorney General Crist for taking this proactive initiative to keep Florida the number one state in protecting Florida's most valuable resource - its children," Walsh stated. "I'm very honored that my home state is the first state in our nation to team up with Family Watchdog."
The effort also was well-received by local law enforcement.
"This is another way to keep residents informed," said Dave Bristow, spokesman for the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office has a procedure for informing residents within a one-block radius when a convicted sex offender moves into a neighborhood. Bristow said fliers are distributed within two days after a convicted sex offender registers a new address. Such registration with local law enforcement is required by law.
Bristow added that the e-mail alert system may reach additional people and it may reach them sooner. "You know, can you do too much?" he asked.
In testimony earlier this year before a Florida House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, Crist said the sexual exploitation of children in the state is "as horrific as it is pervasive."
"The odds are that in every neighborhood, in every city, there is a sex offender living down the street," he told the committee in June. "It is highly likely that every Floridian - and probably every American - drives past the home of a sex offender on a regular basis without even knowing it."
Florida, the attorney general said, is home to some 34,000 registered sex offenders, about 5,000 of whom are classified as sexual predators.
The state's database, maintained by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, is one of the largest of its kind in the nation. For the past 10 years, Floridians could search by ZIP code or city for sex offenders and predators in the database on a Web site.
In May, the Web site's capabilities were enhanced to allow people to search for sex offenders within five miles of their homes.
And now people can also register to receive e-mail notifications when a convicted sex offender settles nearby.
The Family Watchdog Web site debuted about six months ago, a project of Steve Roddel in Westfield, Ind. Roddel started the site after struggling to learn about a known sex offender moving into his hometown.
"We believe strongly that the best way to combat sexual assault is through personal awareness," he said. "Identifying known perpetrators of these crimes within the community is an important first step in protecting those most at risk."
On the Net myFloridaLegal.com
FamilyWatchdog.us