MONROE - Two sex offenders were scheduled to be released in Monroe this week.
On Thursday, Jan. 3, the Monroe Police Department, along with people from Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC), held a community meeting to answer questions and give information about the two men.
One thing almost always discussed at these meetings is the information available to the public.
Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley has often said that an informed community is a safer community.
DOC employees who attend community meetings often tell people that they should find out about who their children are dating or planning to live with by using technology available to everyone.
The information might be useful for people who have rental property, as well.
For example, the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access site provides information about a person's past criminal activity. If someone was charged with a felony, a misdemeanor, a traffic case or a civil case, it will be available on the site.
The site explains what the charges were and if the person was found guilty or not guilty or if the charges were dismissed. The site can also give a status about ongoing cases.
Another site people can use to find information is the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry at www.widocoffenders.org.
People can search for sex offenders either by name or by location. The site features a picture of the offender, information about the person's height, weight, color of eyes and hair, an address and information about what crime the person committed.
Both sites have a lot of information that people could find useful.
But the key is to use the sites.
It's not unusual to read in criminal complaints filed at the Green County Courthouse that a victim recently met someone, let the person move in with them and then became a victim of a crime.
What the victim and her children go through might possibly have been avoided with a quick check on the Internet.
- Brian Gray is a reporter for the Monroe Times. He can be reached at bgray@themonroetimes.com
On Thursday, Jan. 3, the Monroe Police Department, along with people from Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC), held a community meeting to answer questions and give information about the two men.
One thing almost always discussed at these meetings is the information available to the public.
Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley has often said that an informed community is a safer community.
DOC employees who attend community meetings often tell people that they should find out about who their children are dating or planning to live with by using technology available to everyone.
The information might be useful for people who have rental property, as well.
For example, the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access site provides information about a person's past criminal activity. If someone was charged with a felony, a misdemeanor, a traffic case or a civil case, it will be available on the site.
The site explains what the charges were and if the person was found guilty or not guilty or if the charges were dismissed. The site can also give a status about ongoing cases.
Another site people can use to find information is the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry at www.widocoffenders.org.
People can search for sex offenders either by name or by location. The site features a picture of the offender, information about the person's height, weight, color of eyes and hair, an address and information about what crime the person committed.
Both sites have a lot of information that people could find useful.
But the key is to use the sites.
It's not unusual to read in criminal complaints filed at the Green County Courthouse that a victim recently met someone, let the person move in with them and then became a victim of a crime.
What the victim and her children go through might possibly have been avoided with a quick check on the Internet.
- Brian Gray is a reporter for the Monroe Times. He can be reached at bgray@themonroetimes.com