Posted:
By JAMIE TUCKER Consumer Technology Reporter
Parents wanting to know more about people living in neighborhoods where kids will be trick-or-treating can now use a smartphone app to map where convicted sex offenders live.
The Department of Justice app “NSOPW” stands for the National Sex Offender Public Website which is available using any computer browser. The NSOPW app puts that information and search tools in apps for iPhone and Android devices.
The app uses the phone’s GPS location to map convicted and registered offenders up to a 3-mile radius. Results come from state databases along with information from county sheriff’s departments and governing bodies on tribal lands.
Each registered offender is pinned on the map of their last reported residence and gives users the ability to get more information by tapping on a link. Most states include the offender’s mug shot, description, where they work, the make, model, and color of the car they drive along with their driver’s license number.
Many states also include some details of the crime or crimes for which they are convicted.
Users may also search for a particular address that is outside of their GPS location.
In a search for one address, the app returned over a dozen registered offenders along with their personal information and convictions dating back decades.
The app is free for both iPhones and Android devices in the app stores. You can also access the database at the NSOPW website.
