Sex Offender Patrol
by Stephen Hauck
CBS 42 News
2008-02-04 20:00:00.0
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Sex offenders in one east Alabama county better make sure they're abiding by the law. The sheriff there isn't messing around when it comes to people who prey on others, and they're putting new improved resources into keeping sex offenders in check.
The stories are as disturbing as one can imagine. From a man convicted of raping a nine-year-old girl, to a married couple who forced their teenage daughter to perform sex acts, each case is unique and very important. That's why the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office is putting such a major emphasis on tracking down these perverts to make sure they don't strike again.
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Another day, another list of sex offenders to track down for Calhoun County Sheriff's Deputy Rachel Israel... She's the head of the sex offender registration and tracking team. It's a never-ending process to make sure they're living where they say they are, and aren't in an easy situation to commit sexual crimes again.
“It is very rewarding to be able to go home at the end of the day and think that you've made a difference in your community," said Israel.
Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson is proud of Deputy Israel and the entire team who have gone above and beyond their other deputy duties to make the "sort" team so successful.
"When you talk about a burglary and someone steals your bike, that's one thing. But when you talk about harming a small child and you consider the nature of that offense, and the horror that it encompasses, that's something we don't want to have happen on our watch, and we do everything we can to minimize that," said Amerson.
There are more than 400 registered sex offenders in Calhoun County with the “SORT” team making up to 40 home checks a month. If a sex offender isn't home, they'll often talk with family or neighbors to get whatever information they can about the individual.
"We get a lot of good tips, they let us know someone has moved, and that shows that citizens do really care," said Israel.
It's a seemingly endless process, because sex offenders do move, and new ones are constantly added to the county's database. But, Sheriff Amerson says a lot of these people repeat their perverted crimes, and it's a reality the department can't ignore.
"The little girl in Florida who was killed a couple years ago, where an unregistered sex offender was in her community...he was able to get close to that child and carry out his crime against her," said Amerson.
And, they don't want that happening here. So, although it often annoys sex offenders for deputies to be checking them regularly, Deputy Israel lets them know, the "SORT" team isn't going to let up.
"They want to know how long we're gonna be doing this, how long do they have to be checked on, I say, well, this is a lifetime thing," said Israel.
Deputy Israel is also fluent in Spanish, which makes her a valuable commodity in certain situations. She was born and raised in Anniston, giving her an extra reason to do her part to keep the community safe.
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