“AMERICA’S LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY” honored for sex-offender registry management

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Major James Stewart of the Richland County Sheriff’s Dept. (RCSD) and RCSD were presented the ‘NationalCertificate of Recognition for Outstanding Public Service and Sex Offender Registry Management’ by OffenderWatch during the Major County Sheriffs of America’s annual summer conference in Louisville, Kentucky, June 13. The award was accepted by Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott on behalf of Stewart and RCSD.

“This is an honor for both Major Jim Stewart the entire department,” said Lott. “It speaks not only of his [Stewart’s] meticulousattention to detail in the oversight of 908 sex offenders in Richland County, but of our department’s unwavering commitment to protecting all of our county’s citizens.”

OffenderWatch President Mike Cormaci agrees.

“Major Stewart, Sheriff Lott and the entire sheriff’s office go above and beyond what is required in statute to collect comprehensive data on each and every offender in their jurisdiction,” said Cormaci, pictured here presenting the award to Lott.

RCSD uses OffenderWatch’s software-management tool to keep track of registered sex offenders, countywide. Aside from the software system’s ability to improve public safety in Richland County and beyond, RCSD has often employed the system to aid in criminal investigations.

Stewart and RCSD were selected by the OffenderWatch Network from more than 14,000 individual users and 3,000 local, state, and federal agencies, nationwide, to receive the award.

The OffenderWatch Network is the largest sex offender registry system in the United States. As of 2018, the company has expanded its services into Canada.

For more information about OffenderWatch, please visit https://offenderwatch.com/.