Sex offender Web site now includes N.D.

08-02-2005: news-local

By KATIE BROWN, Bismarck Tribune
Locating detailed information about the whereabouts of registered sex offenders will no longer require sorting through numerous databases or contacting several states.A company in Orem, Utah, recently constructed the free Web site, http://www.mapsexoffenders.com, which, just like the name says, maps the addresses of registered sex offenders in any given neighborhood.Orbizon Inc. launched the Web site July 14 and has already received a lot of positive response.
"The response has just been tremendous," said Orbizon spokesman Mark Olsen.Olsen's brother, Aaron Olsen, had the idea for the Web site after watching a newscast on CNN discussing a similar program using technology to keep track of criminals in Chicago. He wanted to do something for the community and already had most of the technology he needed to start the site. Orbizon employs eight people who help with the site in addition to performing other tasks.Users can log onto the Web site, type in their address and access a map that pinpoints exact locations of the homes of registered sex offenders. Users can then zoom in on the maps for a clearer view. To access the site, a browser must be compatible with Google Map."We want people to be able to know about their neighborhoods so they are able to protect their families," Mark Olsen said.He said some victims monitor the site to keep an eye on the person who assaulted them."The Web site serves as a one-stop place to find information for many states," Olsen said. "It will be useful for people moving because they can check out the number of sex offenders living in an area before purchasing real estate."Seventeen states are posted with more to come. Accessible states are North Dakota, Delaware, Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Idaho, Mississippi, Kentucky, Arizona, Illinois, Tennessee, Wyoming, Colorado, Hawaii, Virginia, New York and Florida.Olsen said the company originally had information posted on his home state, Utah, but was required to remove it. Utah has statutes against publishing addresses of sex offenders. California and Nevada have similar statutes. Oregon also has posed some problems because the state's sex offender registry is not online and is only available in a hard copy."It would be impossible to keep it updated," Olsen said. The rest of the states will be updated on the Web site as often as a state updates its sex offender registry. For instance, Texas updates its registry every hour, so the Web site will update information for Texas every hour. Idaho updates its registry every 24 hours, so the Web site will update Idaho's information every 24 hours.North Dakota updates its sex offender registry on real time, meaning as soon as the clerk of courts enters the information into the computer system, the registry is updated. This means the Web site will update North Dakota's information at least once every hour.Olsen said the system saves the company from doing extra research on data that has not changed.He said the company hopes to have most of the states on the site within the next few weeks, but they have no idea how long it will take before Utah, California, Nevada and Oregon are included."We're trying to find a way around it," Olsen said. "Our goal is to include all 50 states."Olsen said that for the most part, state officials have been easy to deal with."Most of them just say that since it's public record, we can do what we want," he said. He said North Dakota's officials have been helpful.Olsen contacted Jonathan Byers, North Dakota assistant attorney general, who helped verify information."From what I've been able to determine, the site is accurate," Byers said. "We are going to watch it to be sure they keep up with our changes."Byers said he thought the Web site would be helpful to citizens."It provides something citizens aren't really able to get anywhere else," he said.Right now, the Web site is free, and Olsen said they will keep it that way. The company takes donations to maintain the site. Olsen said they hope to find a corporate sponsor so they can avoid having to sell advertising. They already have been contacted by companies wanting to advertise with them due to the increasing popularity of the site.(Reach reporter Katie Brown at 250-8225 or cops@bismarcktribune.net.)