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August 20, 2012

Vigo County monitors 183 sexual, violent offenders

Lisa Trigg The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — Vigo County actively monitors 183 people who are required to register as sexual or violent offenders, based on court convictions.

The registering and monitoring of those people is handled by the Vigo County Sheriff’s Department, which has two civil deputies assigned to registry responsibilities.

Bernie Burns and Don Augburn become well-acquainted with many of the people on the registry, who must submit to being photographed and fingerprinted, and who report regularly to the sheriff’s department, especially if they have a change of address or phone number.

“It’s an important task, and I try to stay on top of everything and do the best I can,” Burns said Thursday, having recently returned from a training session on registry updates. “We get requests from the public, work with the parole and probation departments, and our reserve deputies do checks to make sure the offenders are where they say they are.”

It takes a lot of time, money and manpower to manage the registry just for Vigo County, Sheriff Greg Ewing said. He estimates that his office spends between $35,000 and $40,000 a year on registry tasks.

“If we can’t find them, then we talk to the neighbors and try to verify that they still live there. And then if we can’t, we file a probable cause affidavit and get a warrant. There’s a lot to it,” Ewing said of keeping track of the offenders. “But, for a child molester who is on the loose, how much is too much.”

Among the information offenders must provide to police are the description of the car they regularly use for transportation and their places of employment. They also are required to update their information anytime something changes, such as getting a new tattoo or new cell phone number. That information allows police to keep tabs on the offenders more easily.

When sex offenders and violent offenders — those convicted of murder or voluntary manslaughter — are released into communities, they must comply with a variety of restrictions that can sometimes be burdensome. They are not allowed to live within 1,000 feet of schools, daycares, parks or other select public places. That can be limiting for those who do not have a home to go to, and they must find at least temporary lodging in a low-cost motel.

Many of the offenders also have trouble finding work because of their convictions, and many do not have reliable transportation.

Those inconveniences for the convicted felons are the ongoing consequences of their own unlawful acts, Ewing said. But most of those required to register are diligent about complying with the law because, once released, they want to stay out of prison.

Failing to register is a felony.

The Indiana Sheriff’s Association set up the statewide registry through its website, and each county sheriff’s department can access the website and registry software at no charge.

The public can also go online to the Indiana Sex and Violent Offender Registry by going to www.icrimewatch.net/indiana.php and selecting a county to view.

On the Vigo County Sheriff’s website, the public can search for offenders in the area, and can register to receive an email alert whenever a published offender registers within one mile of an entered address.

That means that parents can check out their home neighborhoods as well as the neighborhoods where their children play, such as at a grandparent’s home or the house of a baby sitter or a daycare site.

“People need to be aware of who is around them,” Ewing said. “Just type in your address and look and see where these people live.”

When a felon assigned to the registry is preparing to transition from the state prison system back into a community, the Department of Correction sends a notification to the county where the offender will be relocating.

Burns said the advance notice from the state means he is on the watch to make sure a person registers as planned. If the offender does not show up to register, an alert is sent out among state agencies.

“We have a handle on where people are,” Burns said. “They comply with reporting, and we know where they live, and that they’re not working at a daycare or volunteering at schools.

“It’s a good tool to have in the community,” he said of the registry. “It’s not perfect, but it’s the best thing we’ve got. We have a lot of communication with the DOC and other agencies who work in the database.”

The state’s database is also linked to the national registry, providing updates as they are entered by the participating agencies.

To view the National Sex Offender Registry online, go to www.familywatchdog.us.



Reporter Lisa Trigg can be reached at (812) 231-4254 or lisa.trigg@tribstar.

com. Follow her on Twitter @TribStarLisa.

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