PEA RIDGE — After a complaint from police agencies in the area, a local level II sex offender was upgraded to a level III Pea Ridge Police Lieutenant Ryan Walker said. Based on several reports involving the sex offender loitering at Wal-Mart and women’s shelters Lt. Walker, along with Investigators at the Bentonville Police Department, requested the State and SOSRA (Sex Offender Screening and Risk Assessment) to re-evaluate the offender and raise his status from the level II to the level III which adds more restrictions and public notifications.
“Once we received the new assigned level for him, we immediately went to his house and issued him a copy of the new rules as they apply to him and then sent out postcards to everyone within one-quarter mile,” Walker said. “We will always either send out postcards or go door to door to notify neighbors whenever a level III or level IV sex offender moves into town.”
The state allows for public notification on Level III and Level IV sex offenders, but not Level I or II.
“We have also added Sex Offender information on the city’s webpage (www.pea-ridgear.com) including a link for the sex offender map of Benton County and a link for email notifications. Our goal is to keep our citizens informed and give themthe resources they need to feel safe.”
There are currently 3Level III sex offenders in the city limits of Pea Ridge.
Of the 184 postcards mailed, 51 came back as undeliverable, according to police.
News, Pages 1 on 01/30/2013