Imagine yourself out in the backyard playing with the kids, steaks on the grill, and everything is good. Or is it? How well do you know your neighbors? In the old days, we not only knew our neighbors, but we knew their kids and the day they were born. We knew what kind of cars they drove and who was supposed to be at the house and at what times they were there. But those days are gone. It is not unusual that neighbors who live next door to each other, will never develop a relationship at all. This creates a problem when we, as parents, attempt to ensure that our children are safe in our communities. The good news is that help is available to us.
Based on hideous crimes that have been committed by people, whom neighbors had no idea of their criminal backgrounds, new laws have been passed that allow us to take a look at the people that live around us. The most common, Georgia's Sex Offender Registry, allows us to know exactly where sentenced sexual offenders live and for what offense they were convicted. It is now common for prospective home buyers to visit this site before making a specific bid for a home. The legislation that allows this, known as Megan's law, was derived after a neighbor molested and killed a young girl. The victim's family and neighbors had no idea of the past history of this perpetrator. Short of a yard sign that says "sex offender lives here," this site is the best available method to protect your children, as well as, know what kind of neighbor you may have.
A new site, based on legislation known as "Know Thy Neighbor" is now online that will allow checks by zip codes of people who have been released from prison and are now on parole. The site lists the offender's name, address, photograph, and the offense for which they were convicted. This site is updated by the state's parole officers and is now up and running after six years of design and data entry. The site will also let you know if the individual is wanted for a new violation or for violating parole. This site allows crime victims to track an offender after they are released from prison, so that their residence will be known at all times.
Lastly, a site from Georgia Department of Corrections is available that displays every inmate in the state's prison system. The information includes a photo, as well as, where the inmate is being housed and potential release dates. Crime victims are more pro active than ever before and these sites allow them to protect themselves and their children better than ever.
Nevertheless, these sites are not without controversy. Some civil rights and human rights groups complain of privacy violations. However, the information that is posted on the sites is the same information that is available under Georgia's Freedom of Information laws. The United States Supreme Court has already upheld Megan's law, stating that the sites only reveal past convictions and do not address current dangers or reputations of those individuals listed.
It is imperative that citizens take an informed approach to their family's well being. Court orders are great and certainly go far to protect crime victims but it is clear that the best protection is self protection. These sites allow victims to acquire information that allows them to make decisions as to how they might best achieve a level of safety.
would encourage everyone to visit each of these web sites whether they are a crime victim or not. You might be surprised to see what your neighbors have been up to!
Stan Hall is the Director of the Victim Witness Program for the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office. He is also the host of the Gwinnett County Communication Network's television show "Behind The Badge".
Tuesday
August 5th, 2025
4:53AM
