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It is easy to go online, put in your address and find how close you are to a registered sex offender. But who is making sure that they are where they say they are? We took that question to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department.
They're the first line of defense against a horrific and all too common threat: Convicted sex offenders. When a man or woman convicted of a sex crime is released, it's the Jefferson County sex offender unit charged with the harrowing task of keeping tabs on them. Are they living where they're supposed to be living? Is the community aware? Have they registered?
One day, the unit looks for Todd Allen Gladem, a 36 year old convicted of sodomy.
Jefferson County Detective Jacob Reach said, "He was released and registered to this address. We are insuring that he is where he says he is."
Already there's a problem. He's listed as living in Pinson, but he's no where to be found. The unit will return.
"We’ll be out here time and again to insure that he is here," said Reach.
The deputies also have a sharp eye on the look out for Anthony Griffin. He was convicted of raping a woman in 2006.
“He's required to come in in the month of March to register with us and failed to do so," said Reach.
If your county is not listed, call your county sheriff's office and request the information.
This in essence is the job. As one of the largest sex offender units operating in Alabama, these dedicated street soldiers use every resource available to ensure your community is safe.
"We have so many eyes and ears because of the accurate information that these deputies in the sex offender are doing," said Jefferson County Sheriff Mike Hale.
Just ask Horace Crockett, a convicted rapist taken into custody because deputies say he didn't follow the rules.
"He submitted a change of address form that he was relocating to Flint, Michigan. He never did and we developed information that he was still in Birmingham." "And with the help of these folks here...he's in custody now," said Jefferson County Detective J.D. Johnson.
Anthony Griffin, one of the men the unit was looking for, has still not been located. So if you know of Griffin's whereabouts, please call the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department.
How up to date is the information?
You get notified by mail if a registered sex offender moves into your neighborhood. Or you can go online right now and put in your address and see for yourself. But how confident are you that the information you are getting is accurate?
The Alabama Department of Public Safety is charged with tracking every registered sex offender in the state. And some are charging the department with falling woefully short of fulfilling their obligation.
All you have to do is log onto the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department website and see for yourself. The department updates their sex offender registry everyday. Deputies provide your neighborhood with accurate and up to date notification of the whereabouts of registered sex offenders in the county. It's a much different story from the state. In fact, the Department of Public Safety makes no such claim.
Diana Perdue is an investigative technician with the Department of Public Safety. She sat down CBS 42 to give us an idea of how current the agency is in tracking registered sex offenders. And by their own admission they are behind on their registry, way behind.
“We're probably six to eight months on some information," said Perdue.
Perdue admits part of the problem is a staffing issue.
"Yeah, we could use more staffing," said Perdue.
Alabama Attorney General Troy King is the highest ranking member of law enforcement in the state. And he admits DPS has run into problems.
"There have been waiting list problems, there have been staffing problems. We've made a lot of headway," said King.
By headway, the attorney general points out that the Department of Public Safety website had been as much as a year or more behind in getting the information updated. And a major upgrade is exactly what Sheriff Hale says the state needs.
"I can't make excuses for them, if they're delayed they have to ramp up and suck it up like we have," said Hale.
Hale says the state uses outdated methods, going with hard copy information rather than faster computer software. His deputies actually have to fax their updates to the state since they are unable to receive the information any other way.
A bright note from the DPS, Doris Teague, their public information officer, told CBS 42 that the state is up to date on adding registered sex offenders to their website who have just been released from prison. But that only deals with a part of their backlog.
CBS 42 has also learned the department is in talks for a computer system upgrade that would greatly improve their productivity. So, if the state website is not the most accurate way to locate sex offenders, what is the best option? The best option is your local police or sheriff’s departments. That is where the information originates.
