Posted Tuesday, November 18, 2008 --- 11:25 a.m.

Release from the Governor's Office:

MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle announced today the state’s Sex Offender Registry Web site now offers a mapping feature as well as an e-mail notification system for residents through collaboration with Family Watchdog.

“Thousands of parents, grandparents and neighbors have looked to our Sex Offender Registry Web site for information about sex offenders who reside in their communities, and our new mapping and electronic notification features will equip users with more information than ever to keep their children and loved ones safe,” Department of Corrections Secretary Rick Raemisch said. “We are pleased to be partnering with Family Watchdog to provide these new options for the public to stay safe.”

The new features are the latest enhancements to the Sex Offender Registry Web site under Governor Doyle’s Sex Offender Apprehension and Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Initiative, an agenda launched in 2005 to hold sex offenders accountable and to prevent them from becoming anonymous in Wisconsin communities.

Under an agreement with the non-profit Family Watchdog, users of the state’s Sex Offender Registry Web site at www.WIDOCOffenders.org can link directly to www.FamilyWatchdog.us, where they can map the location of sex offenders within a certain distance from their homes or other locations. In addition, Wisconsin users can enroll in Family Watchdog’s automatic e-mail notification system, which will send enrollees a notice when the registry is updated with new information about a sex offender’s move to a particular neighborhood. As part of the agreement, Family Watchdog will receive Wisconsin’s registry data daily, so map and email notification information will be as current as the Sex Offender Registry Web site.

“Family Watchdog is happy to partner with the state of Wisconsin,” said Steve Roddel, President and CEO of Family Watchdog. “Our service is trusted by millions of Americans because of its simple, easy-to-use interface and because we keep our data as current as possible. This partnership enhances both of these features and provides a better solution to Wisconsin residents seeking to find registered sex offenders nearby.”