INDIANAPOLIS — More than 40 deputies with the Marion County Sheriff's Office conducted a sweep of dozens of sex offenders Wednesday morning on the near east side of Indianapolis.
According to the sheriff's office, 34 sexual or violent offenders live within a half-mile radius of Brookside Park, near East 10th and North Rural streets, 16 of whom were convicted of their crimes outside of Marion County.
"Hoosier hospitality is important, but not at the expense of the safety of Marion County residents," Sheriff Kerry Forestal said in a news release. "'Operation Watchful Eye' should serve as reminder to the public that they must be vigilant about who is in their neighborhood. But it should also serve as a warning to Marion County’s sex offender population: We are watching like a hawk and if you are not compliant, you will be found and arrested."
Here are the results of Wednesday morning's sweep:
- 34 compliance checks completed
- 20 sex offenders verified to be compliant with registration requirements
- Five warrant services attempted for sexual offenses
- One felony warrant arrest of a juvenile on rape and child molestation charges
- One outright arrest for failure to register as a sex offender
- Three offenders suspected to be noncompliant. Corresponding investigations opened, and arrest warrants requested.
According to the sheriff's office, there are currently 1,825 sexual or violent offenders living in Marion County, with more than half of those offenders convicted and sentenced from another state or another county.
"There are over 1800 sex offenders here in Marion County. Over half of them have been sentenced from out of county and out of state... We really don't want you here. For those who are here, we want you to comply. If you don't, you will be brought to jail and we will ask the Prosecutor to bring additional charges," Forestal said.
Click here to search your neighborhood for registered sex offenders in Marion County.
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