Gregg County Sheriff’s Office Begins Using RSO Tracker

LONGVIEW — The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office is now using the RSO Tracker online sex offender management system to better manage its sex offender caseload. That’s according to RSO Tracker officials, who say the usage began October 1. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Gregg County has 80 registered sex offenders who reside in unincorporated Gregg County and report to the Sheriff’s Office. By state law, sex offenders are required to report changes in their address, employment, and personal information to the law enforcement agency where they live.

According to retired police detective Kevin Brownlee, sex offenders’ reporting can become a game of cat and mouse for law enforcement. “There are many offenders who try hard to comply with the law regarding their sex offender registration requirements, but there are also many offenders who simply refuse to comply,” says Brownlee. “The burden is on law enforcement to always know where a sex offender is and to make sure they’re in compliance.” Brownlee says that by having this tool to manage a sex offender’s critical information, such as when the offenders are to come in and when it’s time to go out and check on them, law enforcement is able to make sure that no offender “slips through the cracks.” The Longview Police Department was the first agency in Texas to begin using RSO Tracker in 2011.