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GIS Resources
Keep your agency's protected sites and address files up to date to ensure that your OffenderWatch® system is able to provide you with the most current and precise mapping data available.
How to Update Your OffenderWatch® GIS Data
Your map and address data is used by the OffenderWatch® geographical information system to:
- Alert you should an offender register an address that's too close to a school, daycare, or other protected site.
- Properly display schools and daycares on your maps.
- Notify your agency should an offender elsewhere in the network indicate the intention to move to your jurisdiction.
- Verify that offenders' addresses correspond to accurate mapping data.
- Assign offenders automatically to your agency’s zones, beats, or districts.
- Provide heat maps and geographical information for analysis.
Any address records and map data belonging to your agency will never be redistributed or sold to third parties by OffenderWatch®.
Update Your Protected Sites
What are protected sites?
In many states, registered sex offenders are prohibited from living too close to daycares, schools, parks, recreation centers, churches, and other places where children gather. State statutes typically designate a buffer zone of 1,000 to 2,000 feet around these protected sites for the safety of children who frequent these locations. OffenderWatch® is configured to the restrictions specified within your state statutes to alert law enforcement should a registrant provide an address within a prohibited distance of any protected site.
Because new schools and daycares are often added, relocated, or closed, it is important to maintain the addresses of these protected sites in OffenderWatch® each year. Outdated GIS data can become a legal liability for registering agencies, as well as a danger to the public.
How do I obtain area map files of protected sites?
Updated map files of protected sites can often be obtained from your county or city GIS/Mapping department. In many cases, the GIS department is associated with the County Assessor’s Office.
What is the proper format for protected site map files?
Map files can be provided as Parcel (.shp) or and MapInfo tab files (.tab). These shape files are preferred because they are most accurate in depicting boundaries around a school or church campus or other protected location. When delivering the spatial dataset, please include the projection file used, and create a single file with the following field names or list your corresponding names for our reference.
Email your map files back to us at support@offenderwatch.com.
What If I Can't Access the Correct Map Files?
If you don't have properly formatted files and have no GIS department to consult, you may send OffenderWatch® an address list using our convenient Protected Sites Template. Simply place your protected sites in a single spreadsheet according to the format of the template, and then email your updated spreadsheet to us at support@offenderwatch.com.
Update Your 911 Address File
How is 911 address data used by OffenderWatch®?
When an OffenderWatch® user adds an offender's address to a record, the OffenderWatch® GIS verifies the address against all known addresses in the jurisdiction and adds a geocode so the offender's address can be displayed on a map and used as a basis for public notifications.
In our experience, local GIS departments have the most up-to-date GIS datasets for their region. We encourage agencies to supplement the GIS dataset found in the OffenderWatch® platform with data provided by local county GIS departments. This can help improve the geocoding success rate of your registry.
What is the proper file format for supplemental 911 addresses?
Whenever possible, the OffenderWatch team encourages each agency to share a copy of the address file or 911 address dataset for your region. This file should list the latitude and longitude of each address or structure, as well as the spatial object and and physical address associated with each one. The required metadata is shown below. If the only address associated with a spatial object is a separate mailing address (e.g., a P.O. box), then please exclude the entire spatial object from the file.
Acceptable spatial data types include both shape files (.shp) and MapInfo tab files (.tab). All datasets should include projection files. There should be only one spatial object for each physical address. To expedite the import process, please include all address/911 data in a single file.
When delivering the spatial dataset, create a single file with the following field names or list your corresponding names for our reference.
Email your map files back to us at support@offenderwatch.com.
Update Your Zones, Beats, or Districts
How does OffenderWatch® use zones, beats, or district data?
If you assign responsibility for offenders to law enforcement agents using geographic criteria, send us your zones, beats, or districts and we can configure your OffenderWatch® system to automate this process according to the specified parameters.
What is the proper file format for zones, beats, or district data?
Acceptable spatial data types include both shape files (.shp) and MapInfo tab files (.tab). All datasets should include projection files. In order to expedite the import process, we ask that all polygons be included in one file. Multiple files require extra processing, which may result in additional fees. Offenders can only be assigned to one zone at a time, so please make sure that there is no overlap in your spatial dataset. We also advise removing all gaps prior to delivering the spatial subset to our team, as we must assume that the entire geographic region will be covered by the zones or beats in question.
Submissions must contain the following:
- Filename
- Spatial Data Type
- Projection (NAD83 preferred)
- * Zone / Responsibility Name Column
Email your map files back to us at support@offenderwatch.com.
Feeling Lost?
The OffenderWatch team is always standing by to provide expert assistance for your agency's mapping or geocoding needs. Let us know which products you're using and what type of issue you're experiencing using the brief form below.
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