Aurora police launch sex offender search site
A new website launched by Aurora police allows residents to identify sex offenders who live or work near their homes, schools, offices or other locations.
The site is called Offender Watch and is funded by a federal grant administered by the Illinois attorney general’s office.
The site is accessible through the police department’s page on the city’s website and allows residents to enter their address and sign up to receive an email alert if a sex offender moves within a defined radius of that location.
“The program lessens the anxiety of Aurora citizens by proactively alerting them should a sex offender move within proximity to them,” police Chief Greg Thomas said in a news release.
The Illinois Sex Offender Registry is online at a separate website, but Aurora police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said Offender Watch differs because of the email alert feature and because the site is updated more frequently.
As officers gain information about where sex offenders live, they update the Offender Watch site in real time. Police also provide information to the state registry, but it may not be updated as quickly, Ferrelli said.
Of 25,596 sex offenders registered in Illinois, 209 live in Aurora, according to the state registry.
Offender Watch shows searchers how many of those offenders live, work, volunteer or go to school within a quarter-mile, half-mile, mile, or two-mile radius of their specified address. It also provides a mug shot and physical description along with a list of what sex crime or crimes the offender committed.
“Offender Watch is an important tool to raise awareness and ensure safety in communities across Illinois,” said Maura Possley, spokeswoman for the Illinois attorney general’s office.
Aurora joins 62 county sheriff’s offices and 51 police departments across the state that offer their residents access to Offender Watch through the $481,890 grant the attorney general’s office is administering. Residents can access the site by going to aurora-il.org, clicking on the police department tab on the left side, choosing “links” from the drop-down menu and scrolling to the bottom of the page to find the link for registered sex offenders.