The idea would be to put the information available under Megan's Law on a Web site. The supervisors also asked county staff to see if it is possible to develop an online mapping system that would show if any registered sex offenders live near schools.
"I believe parents have a right to know whether or not a registered sex offender lives in their neighborhood or near their child's school," said Supervisor Dianne Jacob. "This is about parents having the ability to protect their kids."
The supervisors directed county staff to report back in two months on how much it would cost to put the information on the Internet and to present a plan for getting the work done.
The Megan's Law offender information is currently available on CD-ROMs available for use at the Sheriff's Department headquarters, the Sheriff's station in Poway, the San Diego Police Department Business Center and the La Mesa and El Cajon police departments. The database includes the offender's name, age, sex, physical description, photo if available, conviction information and the county and ZIP code where the offender lives.
Under the county's proposal, the information would be placed on a secure Web site where it would be easily accessible, but protected from being modified by unauthorized individuals.
