The Dothan Police Department has a specific program for checking on registered sex offenders.
Dothan Police Officer Jeb Howell says they check them more than the four times a year the state requires.
"I would say at least around 120 of our parole officers have a specific
offender that they're assigned to that we check on a monthly basis,"
said Howell.
During the monthly visits officers go offenders homes.
Howell says they check the offenders for a number of issues.
"They always have to have their license on them and it will say
criminal sex offender; irregular behavior; if they're employed we want
to make sure they're not going to be in an area around children," said
Howell.
Howell says there a number of things sex offenders can get in trouble for.
"If we can't make contact with them per month, if they've changed place
of employment, residency, things of that nature, if we don't
automatically get that on our first visit as a patrol officer, an
investigator will get up with them," said Howell,
Howell says from his experience offenders tend to keep to themselves.
"For the most part, it seems like it puts people in a spot where their
employment opportunities are obviously hindered," said Howell. "Most of
them are single, they don't have any family and if they do they are kind
of cut off from them. "
Howell says it's still very important to make sure they are obeying the law.
"We check for anything out of the ordinary that might indicate that
they are reverting back to what got them in trouble in the first place,"
said Howell.
