Are there sex offenders in your neighborhood? Web site has the answer

By Phyllis Sides
RACINE - If you enter your address into the MapSexOffenders.com Web site, the cluster of balloons near your house might trigger a panic attack."You look at the map and you see a cluster of balloons showing the location of sex offenders who live near you. All of those balloons may not be someone who has been convicted of a serious offense. There's a good chance very few of them will re-offend," said Sgt. William Macemon of the Racine Police Department.Sex offender registries can include people who have been convicted of fourth degree sexual assault, which is usually inappropriate touching.Registries also can include "a 16-year-old who was convicted of improperly touching his girlfriend 20 years ago," Macemon said. "Many people on the registry are juveniles engaging sexual behavior which they are too young to be doing."Macemon, who checked out the sex offenders Web site Monday morning, said that anyone who has been convicted of a sex crime in Wisconsin will be on the state's sex offender registry - if the court orders it. The Police Department notifies the neighbors when serious sex offenders move into the area, he said. And the information provided by MapSexOffenders.com already is available on the Wisconsin State Department of Corrections Web site, he said."The only difference I can see between the sites is the state's is a list and the other provides a map," he said. "They run a general map that redirects people to the state's Web site."The information is the same and the state registry is free, Macemon said. According to MapSexOffenders.com, their service is free, and is provided as a community service, although they do ask for a donation. MapSexOffenders.com is part of Orbizon Inc., a privately owned Web development and technology company based in Orem, Utah.And while the information provided on the sites is the same it can be accessed differently, Macemon said."Anyone can go onto the state site," he said. "You can search by location and name. If you're looking for a visual representation and don't know a specific address, the MapSexOffenders site may be easier to use. While, if you have a name and address, the state's may be easier."Macemon said anyone looking for local information should check out the Police Department's Web site:http://www.cityofracine.org/ Depts/police/sex_offenders.aspxOr: http://offender.doc.state.wi.us/ public/ While people may be interested in who lives in their neighborhoods, it's not a question prospective home buyers seem to beasking.Harv Rich, of Rich Real Estate Inc., said he's seldom asked about sex offenders living in an area."I almost never get asked that question," Rich said. And if he is, Rich refers them to a Web site that was given to local real estate agents by real estateorganizations.However, he said, he thinks the best information available would be on a local Web site.