JeffCo Sheriff's Office Receives National Recognition

BIRMINGHAM, AL - It is one of the most difficult tasks of any law enforcement agency, but working the Sex Offenders Unit for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has paid off, as the department received national recognition this week for its performance. The office was recognized for outstanding community awareness and notification related to sex offenders for sending more than 375,000 emails to citizens.

Of the more than 3,000 agencies and 14,000 users in the OffenderWatch network, the company selected the Jefferson Sheriff’s Office to receive the award.

“Our main priority is keeping the citizens of Jefferson County safe, and we do that by making them aware of who’s living and what’s happening in their neighborhood in a timely and most-updated manner at our fingertips,” said Sheriff Mark Pettway. “We are honored to have received this national award that recognizes the men and women in our office. Winning this award is a testament to how much our law enforcement officers care about the people in our county as well as shows the dedication they have to ensure our safety.”

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office uses the software management tool OffenderWatch to keep track of registered sex offenders, often using the system to aid in investigations and proactively improve public safety. The Sheriff’s Office offers access to the OffenderWatch data free as a community service to the people of Jefferson County.

“In addition to our citizens having access to the database, our deputies use it to manage and monitor the whereabouts, conduct and compliance status of registered offenders in our county,” Pettway added.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for managing, tracking and verifying registered sex offenders in the county. The office also is responsible for notifying the public of registered sex offenders.