Brunswick Sheriff’s Office launches ‘Offender Watch,’ a new online sex-offender registry

By Port City Daily staff The database is updated in real time based on information from thousands of law enforcement agencies and is available at no cost, 24-7. Read the full article on Port City Daily.

BRUNSWICK COUNTY — A quick search using the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office “Offender Watch” registry shows 41 sex offenders within 5 miles of Leland’s town hall, 15 within 5 miles of Southport’s downtown, and dozens more across the county.

The new online registry, launched by Brunswick County Sheriff John W. Ingram, allows residents to search for registered sex offenders located inside a “user-defined radius” from any Brunswick County address; users can adjust the radius from a quarter-mile to five miles.

“Offender Watch is a great tool in keeping residents informed of anyone moving into their communities who might be a potential threat to their families. I hope this tool will offer citizens peace of mind in knowing that information is easily accessible,” Ingram said.

The registry also allows residents to sign up for updates, “alerting them if an offender or predator should register an address within their specified radius of their address,” according to Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson Emily Flax.

Residents can sign up for updates for as many addresses as they like, at no cost, Flax said.
The Offender Watch data is updated in real time as offender data is received by the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, according to Flax. The online registry links the county to over 5,000 law enforcement agencies.