Mississippi ranks tenth in the nation for the number of sex offenders per capita. MPB’s Alexandra Watts reports on what you need to know to stay safe and informed.
According to A Secure Life, a security organization, there are 356 registered sex offenders per 100 thousand people in Mississippi — tying it for tenth place with Florida as the highest in the nation.
Chandler Clayton is with A Secure Life. Clayton said while there are resources, like Family Watchdog, to see who is registered in your area, people have to seek out the information.
“They do have to alert the authorities when they move, so that the public records can be updated," Clayton said. "You always have record to where they are moving, but they don’t have to actually come to your door and tell you.”
Clayton said the study was done to inform communities about safety in general.
Emily Brandon is with SAFE Incorporated, which provides shelter and assistance for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as their children.
Brandon said while the internet is a good resource to become informed, it should also be used carefully — especially with social media.
“People can ping your location. You just need to be very careful — I mean there’s Snapchat, there’s Instagram, there’s Facebook," Brandon said. "So really limiting and being very careful about how you use social media — that is going to be a very big aspect of keeping children safe.”
Oregon has the highest rate of registered sex offenders and Maryland has the least.
