Sex Offender Registry

One of the reasons that people purchase alarm systems for their home is to keep their family safe.  Another way to keep the ones you love safe is to be aware of your surroundings.  For me, this includes a check of the Registered Sex Offenders in the neighborhood.  When we were searching for a home to purchase several years ago, a search of the registry showed that a sex offender lived in the house diagonally across the street from the home we were trying to purchase.  This did not stop us from putting in an offer.  However, it would certainly have made a difference in how we let our children play.  Our offer for that house was outbid by someone else so our search continued.  The neighborhood where we did finally purchase has three sex offenders, but none within a several block radius.
It is a natural thing for me--maybe it is the law enforcement background.  I think that it should become a standard practice though for all--especially those with children.  Please don't misunderstand my intentions though.  I do not wish for those that are registered to become outcasts.  If we had become neighbors of that man, I would have treated him with the same courtesy that I show to all my neighbors.  However, I would never have let him babysit my children.
Many states have online registries but there is a national registry as well.  So that this information is useful to more people, we will stick to the national registry hosted by the US Department of Justice.  If you go the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW), you can use the national directory by choosing the link "Search for Sex Offenders".   You must acknowledge  and agree to the terms of use and then enter the code shown on the next screen. When presented with the screen to enter the name to search for, click on the link for the Advanced Search option which will allow you to search by zip code.  Several zip codes may be entered by placing a comma between them (ex. 12345, 78910, 44455). Once completed, the list of offenders in those zip codes will be displayed. Clicking on the name of an offender will provide more information about that person.
Rather then using the main search option, I much prefer to use the link for the state where I live by choosing the link to "Public Registry Sites" on the main page of the NSOPW which lists all of the participating registries from across the country. Whatever way you choose to search, the information provided gives citizens the knowledge needed to protect themselves and their family members by taking the appropriate precautions.