New twist on offender database brings varied responses

By Lindsay Hanlen, The Shelby Sun Times, SCN
July 20, 2007

Senate Republican leader Mark Norris of Collierville is continuing his move to protect the public from sex offenders. He has help set up an online mapping system so that anyone can find out information about sex offenders in their area.

The Tennessee system includes names, addresses, counties of employment, dates of birth and addresses of sex offenders. Offenders can be searched by name or address, and a map shows the exact address location. The older version does not have a map, but does show pictures and names.

Nationally, familywatchdog.us allows anyone to search the entire country for offenders. It was among the first websites to have an interactive website. Closely resembling the new mapping system for Tennessee, the national system goes a step further by including dots representing the offenders' work locations and the locations of schools. A color-coding system shows the different types of offenses.

Tennessee's new mapping system is just another step in Norris' effort against sex offenders. He co-sponsored a law with other representatives from Memphis' suburbs that requires sex offenders to register.

Jane Youngson of Collierville is all for the system. "Anything to protect the children is great," she said. She also is in full agreement that offenders need to be registered and the public should be able to know where they are.

Stacy Coughlin, program development vice president for YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South, oversees child care and believes the registration of and ability to track sex offenders is extremely important.

"We need to know whether there is a sex offender near one of the schools involved in our programs," Coughlin said.

While the online mapping system may be a positive to Norris and others, some Collierville residents disagree with its comprehensiveness. Caitlin Mazzarino says that a directory may be a better solution because "being able to pinpoint their exact house is violating their rights."

"It's good to be able to keep tabs on them, but they have rights just like everyone else. Sure, they are sex offenders, but they're still people" Mazzarino said.

Even Coughlin, though for the system, debates whether inclusion of names as well as addresses would be overstepping the boundary.

"The names are not necessarily needed. If I were one of them, I wouldn't want my name up there, but I still think knowing where they are located is important," she said.

The mapping system is available from Norris' website, marknorris.org, as well as tbi.state.tn.us.