How to Locate Sex Offenders in Your Area

If you'd like to locate sex offenders in your area or near your child's school or even your workplace, each state offers a way to track and find these predators. Your state will offer its own tools such as maps, websites and online registries. Of course, you'll also always have the option to peruse national sex offender registries online. These are typically maintained by the FBI. Following is a discussion of how to locate sex offenders using the national registry, maps and local websites.

National Sex Offender Registry

The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) is provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, and can be found at http://www.nsopw.gov/Core/Conditions.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1. This site allows you to search for offenders using a variety of criteria. These include first and last name of the offender, county or city/town, zip code or other jurisdiction. This site offers real-time searches that are updated as soon as the local registries are, so you'll have access to the most up-to-date information possible. NSOPW also offers links to online registries and lists of offenders for each state.

Sex Offender Maps

Most local governments offer a way to locate sex offenders found in your neighborhood by simply searching via address or zip code. Your results will offer a map with highlighted areas where the offenders are located, allowing you to assess the risk near your home. These maps are also useful if you are planning on moving to a new neighborhood or even state and want a good idea of the types of neighbors you'll have there.

For example, http://www.insor.org/insasoweb/initAdvancedSearchForm.do is the site for the Indiana Sheriff's sex offender map site. Here, you can simply enter your address and a map will show sex offender home and work addresses, as well as addresses of violent offenders in the immediate vicinity. You may also choose to view a list showing mugshots and physical descriptions of these predators.

Local Websites

As stated before, you may access the sex offenders website for your state through the NSOPW. Each state offers different tools for you to use, which may include maps, local online registries or simply a list of offenders in your area. Most will also offer the option to be notified via email when a new offender moves to your neighborhood or any area that you choose.

These tools make it easy to track threatening parties and maintain awareness of your surroundings at all times. Whether you choose to utilize the national sex offender registry, local sex offender websites or sex offender maps, it's always ideal to have a good idea of any existing or future threats to your and your family's safety.