Sex offender Web site up and running

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Law enforcement officials from throughout Santa Barbara County unveiled the Offender Watch Program yesterday, a Web site that will allow residents to easily access the county’s sex offender registry.
The Offender Watch Program enables anyone to search for the presence of registered sex offenders and predators in proximity to their homes, place of work, schools and day cares, a statement from the County Sheriff’s Department said.


According to the Web site, which is accessible by visiting www.sbsheriff.org, several hundred registered sex offenders reside in the county.
Of the county’s eight incorporated cities, Santa Maria has the highest number of registered sex offenders at 151, while Solvang has the lowest with one. Santa Barbara has 106, Guadalupe has 10, Buellton has eight, Carpinteria has 13, Goleta has 22, and Lompoc has 40.
The Web site also pinpoints how many registered sex offenders reside within a one-mile radius of a specific address.
When one types in the address for Santa Barbara City Hall, 30 registered sex offenders are shown living in 28 locations.
“The purpose of the program is to lessen the anxiety of citizens by proactively alerting them should an offender or predator move within proximity to them, and to enhance the security and safety of Santa Barbara County citizens,” said Sgt. Alex Tipolt, a Sheriff’s Department spokesman. “The program also enables law enforcement to verify that offender addresses do not violate any safety buffers that may be implemented around protected institutions in the county, such as schools, day care facilities and churches.”
The Web site also offers an e-mail alert system, where a person can enter their street address and be notified when and if a registered sex offender moves into the neighborhood.