FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pawhuska, OK. (July 8th, 2024)—The Osage County Sheriff’s Office announced today that it has joined the nationwide OffenderWatch sex offender registry network, which enables interagency collaboration on investigations and sharing of critical information involving registered sex offenders with other local law enforcement agencies across the country. In addition, residents of Osage County can use the Osage County Sheriff’s Office website to search for sex offenders residing in their neighborhood and subscribe to receive email alerts from the http://www.sheriffalerts.com/ok/osage
OffenderWatch is the nation’s leading sex offender registration solution, with over 15,000 unique users in 33 states. More than 3,500 local and state law enforcement agencies are utilizing the software to keep track of registered offenders across jurisdictions, collaborate on interagency operations, and automatically notify the community through the Osage County Sheriff’s Office website and email alerts.
“Osage County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to join the coast-to-coast OffenderWatch network in order to better share information, coordinate investigations, and collaborate on sex offenders,” said Sheriff Eddie Virden “When a registered offender moves from outside the county, deputies save countless hours researching and re-entering data because the offender record is seamlessly shared from one agency to the other. OffenderWatch builds a history of the data we have on file, and this facilitates registry staff, investigators and others working together. So, our deputies can be more proactive in offender management and keeping the community aware.”
There are over 900,000 registered sex offenders in the United States, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. However, agencies often use disparate systems for managing sex offenders. OffenderWatch allows different law enforcement agencies to collaborate on a single offender record, improving accuracy and aiding in public safety.
“We believe data shared between law enforcement agencies leads to better investigations and safer cities and counties,” said Mike Cormaci, president, and co-founder of OffenderWatch. “With the Osage County Sheriff’s Office joining our network, OffenderWatch now has most of the nation’s children covered by our reach—hopefully leading to fewer victims.”
OffenderWatch allows the sheriff’s office to better collaborate on investigations with the U.S. Marshals, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) teams and other investigators. Further, the citizens of Osage County can now access a dedicated OffenderWatch page that enables them to search for nearby offenders and receive real-time email alerts regarding relocation of sex offenders within their community.
Osage County Sheriff’s Office is also now offering the free OffenderWatch App for download on both Android and iPhone smartphone devices. After installing the app, citizens will be able to see registered sex offenders located near them or their family members. They will also receive free alerts when a registered sex offender moves into their neighborhood. The app also offers online safety information and tips for how to talk to children about sex offenders.
To learn more about OffenderWatch and sign up for email alerts on offenders, visit www.offenderwatch.com.
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About OffenderWatch
There are over 900,000 registered sex offenders in the United States. Many states have different systems for registering and tracking these offenders, making it difficult for agencies to track offender relocations across state lines, share electronic offender records, and collaborate on investigations. OffenderWatch works with law enforcement agencies to provide a national network of registries and notification tools to easily communicate information to the public. Founded in 2000 in Covington, La. under the Watch Systems company, OffenderWatch provides a variety of services to sheriffs’ offices, police departments, Attorney’s General offices, U.S. Marshal judicial districts, U.S. attorneys, federal and state probation and parole agents, departments of corrections, Indian tribes, and more. OffenderWatch partnered with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Canada to deliver the Canadian National Sex Offender Registry. In 2019, OffenderWatch launched a new, patented technology, the OffenderWatch App. The mobile app locates registered sex offenders near parents and their kids and identifies online contact from registered sex offenders through a kid’s electronic device or if their device lingers near an offender’s residence, instantly alerting parents to the communication. Learn more at OffenderWatch.com or on Facebook @OffenderWatch.
MEDIA CONTACT
For Osage County Sheriff’s Office: Gary Upton @ gupton@ocso.net
For OffenderWatch: Emily Mayeaux @ emily@anntoine.com