Version
02/13/08
Table of Contents
Version
02/13/08
Table of Contents
Starting The Application And Logging In
Step 1 Entering Offender Identification
Step 3 Entering Physical Information
Step 5 Entering Scars, Marks, and Tattoos
Step 6 Entering Residence Address
How To Find An Offender's Record
Example of sorting the list of offenders by STATUS
The Different Offender Statuses
Example on how to list all offenders whose last name starts with “G”
Example on how to list all offenders who own a red Ford vehicle
Proximity Rules Violation Search
Intelligence or Comments Keyword Search
Actions Available on the List Offenders Screen
How To Edit An Offender's Record
Change Residence Phone Numbers
How To Delete An Offender's Record
Managing Offender Responsibility
Managing Offender Verifications
Administrator Setup of Verifications Levels
OffenderWatch by Watch Systems is a tool for keeping track of sex offenders. It provides mapping technology as well as notification for communities. The user friendly interface makes it easy to find the data you need.
OffenderWatch can help you manage the initial registrations, on-going and continuing address verifications, and notifications to the community in regard to your sex offenders. The system is highly adaptable to a wide range of population densities, statutory environments, and local procedures for managing sex offenders.
OffenderWatch provides the database to help you with the task of informing the public concerning the location of registered child predators and sex offenders. It is often used in conjunction with public web sites to provide a public search capability as well as an email based notification system. It is important for this service to be effective that care is used in entering address information in OffenderWatch so that all mapping features can be maximized.
With the OffenderWatch software in place in your jurisdiction, you can offer your residents the ability to go to your web site and search for your sex offenders by not only the offenders name or other location, but to search for and see a map of offenders within a 1 mile radius of their home, day care, school, etc. Your constituents can then sign up to receive a personalized email notification from the Sheriff or Chief advising them whenever an offender moves within a 1 mile radius.
About Watch Systems, LLC
Watch Systems is a privately held software development firm based in the New Orleans, LA area which specializes in sex offender registration and community notification software and services at a state and local level. We have refined a software solution as well as supporting services that are used by hundreds of law enforcement and state agencies in many states. The success of our program stems from our ability to link technical service and support with the community’s demand for relevant and timely information concerning sex offenders.
Start the application by double clicking on the OffenderWatch icon on the desktop:
A login screen will be displayed for you to enter your username and password:
Your initial username and password will be provided by Watch. After authentication, you will be taken to the Main OffenderWatch window as shown on the next page. This Main OffenderWatch window will allow you access all the features needed to manage sex offenders.
Below is the Main OffenderWatch window, left-click on the “Add An Offender” button.
The Add Wizard will start.
Step 1 Entering Offender Identification
The Add Offender Wizard will be displayed. Fill in the text fields as shown. Select a State from the choice box by typing the first letter of the state or selecting and expanding the list (drop down arrow) and right clicking on the state.
Registration number may be alpha or numeric or any combination but must appear. To allow the offender information to display on public web sites, a green check must appear in the Publish field. This box should be checked by default. If offender data is not to be published on public web sites, deselect the check box by left clicking and verify the box is blank.
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Left click on the “OK” button to return to Step 1 of the Add An Offender Wizard. At this point you may choose to end the wizard by clicking the “Cancel” button or continue to add the offender by clicking on the “Next >” button.
Step 2 of the Add An Offender Wizard will be displayed. Fill in alias data as shown.
Searches on the public web site by first name or last name will yield alias matches for the entry as well as legal first and last name.
Click on the “Next >” button to display Step 3:
Fill in the fields either by typing or clicking on the up/down arrows next to the field. Also typing in the first letter of the expected entry in any drop down field will generally display the available entries starting with that letter. (E.g. type “m” to enter male in the sex box.)
Click on the “Next >” button to display Step 4:
To upload an image file for the offender, click on the “Browse” button to open the following screen:
Select the image file, usually ending in “.jpg” and click on the “Open” button. This will take you back to the Step 4 page with the image displayed:
Image should be about 1” x 1”. If sizing does not appear correct, we recommend using Microsoft Photo Editor or some other photo software to resize the picture file.
Click on the “Next >” button to display Step 5 of the Add An Offender Wizard.
Click on the first cell as shown, to select “Scar” or “Tattoo”:
In the second column, click to select the area of the body that the scar or tattoo is located:
Fill in the tattoo description then click on “Next >” to display Step 6 of the Add wizard:
Step 6 Entering Residence Address
Enter the offender's address in the fields provided. Note that street address is comprised of several subfields (
The street address is entered in several subfields to faciliate maximum accuracy in mapping the address. The street number is entered in the first field, followed by the street prefix (for example "North" in the street "North Main St."), followed by the Street name ("Main"), the street type ("St."), and if applicable, the street suffix direction (for example, "East" in "Gause Blvd. East"). Enter any apartment numbers, lot numbers or PO Box information in the "Apt / Unit" field.
Fill in the fields as shown, noting the check boxes to indicate Primary Address and Primary Phone number. A history of addresses and phone numbers may be maintained but only one such item may be marked as “primary”. The primary address will appear on public web sites and will be used for all notification services. Please take care to enter only proper street address information the Home address field.
Click “Next >” to go to Step 7 and fill it out as shown:
Enter Work/School information on this page. Note the address fields on this page are the same as the address fields on the previous page.
Click “Next >” to go to Step 8:
Click on the first column to display a list of vehicle makes:
Click on a Make to select it then Tab or click on the Model column:
Click on the Type Column and select the vehicle type code. Most entries will be type "AU" for automobile, but this field is useful for specifying an unusual vehicle type that may not be properly described by the "Make"/"Model" fields. The "Style" field may also be used to further specifiy the vehicle (e.g. 4-door, convertible, etc.)
Click on the Color column and select a vehicle color. You may also specify a secondary color for the vehicle via the "Color2" field.:
More information may be included in columns to the right (Plate number, VIN, comments, etc.). Use the scroll bar at the bottom of the screen to view these fields. Fill in any other columns desired and click “Next >” to display Step 9 Offenses:
This page has eight columns although all eight cannot be shown at once. Use the horizontal scroll bar to show the other columns on the right or just tab to them.
Click on the first column to display a list of Crime Codes that are available for your agency:
Fill in the Committed, Convicted, Released dates in mm/dd/yyyy format:
Within Step 9, do not forget to move the table over to reveal more columns on the right:
Note that Crime Info data will appear on the public website and notifications. All other data is currently viewable only in the application.
Click the “Next >” button to move to Step 10:
Enter any comments to appear in offender mailings and on the public web site in the "Comment" field. "Intelligence" field information is internal only and is not viewable by the public on the web or in offender mailings.
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Click the “Next >” button to move to Step 11:
Offender Verification management is a key component of the OffenderWatch software solution. This functionality allows you to schedule offenders' verification frequency and due dates and highlights "overdue" or non-compliant offenders. Though multiple levels and verification schedules are configurable within OffenderWatch (Verifications Module), the "Add Offender" module allows you to set up a primary schedule.
Verification Status: Select a verification status of "Verified - OK", "Requested", "Updated not Verified" etc. to indicate the offender's current verification status (for example, if an officer must do a home visit to "verify" residency, you may select "Updated not Verified" status to indicate the need for additional field verification).
Risk Level: Select a Risk level according to your agency guidelines. The non compliant field , when set to “non-compliant” will post such noncompliance on public web site searches. This will assist you in finding the offender by alerting the public of their noncompliance.
Verification Type: The "Verification Type" field contains a list of choices for verification type / frequency your agency has configured to enable verification management. During the initial "Add Offender" process, only one type may be chosen, though the verification schedule can be subsequently modified for a multi-tiered verification strategy (see "Verifications" for more details).
Verification Date: This field will typically be filled with today's date, even if the verification status is not "verified OK". This date will be used to indicate the date of the current verification status.
Next Verification Date: This field indicates when the offender is due for verification and places the offender on your agency's verification schedule calendar. If field is left blank, a default value equal to the verification date plus the verification interval will be assigned (for example, one year from today if annual). Note, if using a verification status other than "verified OK", it is highly recommended that the user fill in a due date for the offender's actual verification. Manually filling in Next Verification Date will over-ride all calculations for that field, and the next verification will be scheduled for the date entered. For example, if your agency uses the offender’s birthdate as the annual verification date, then the “Next Verification Date” should be filled with the offenders birthday date. The next verification will then be recorded as due at the offender’s next birthday.
Anniversary Date: This is an optional field that some agencies find useful for scheduling annual verifications based on the offenders date of birth or date of release. If it is filled in, the annual verification due dates will be scheduled on the anniversary date each year.
Zone: Optional field to select the geographic zone to which the offender is assigned.
Verified By: Records who completed the verification.
In the “Assigned To” field, you can enter the agency or individual responsible for offender verification. Clicking on the down arrow to the right of the field gives a list of agencies/individuals set up for your office (see Managing Offender Responsibility). Select the appropriate choice.
Click “Next >” to display the Confirmation screen:
None of the data you have entered from Step 1 of the 'Add An Offender' Wizard to the last page has been saved yet. You must left click on the “Finish” button to save the offender.
Saving to the database will take a few moments, when it is finished you will see the following message:
From the Main Offender Watch window, click on the “Offender Search” button:
The following screen will be displayed:
To perform a general search listing all offenders under your agency, leave all fields blank and click on the “Search” button in the middle of the page. The screen will be refreshed with results similar to:
To narrow a search, choose one of the several types of search available by selecting a tab: Offender Details, Physical Traits, Address Details, Work/School Details, Offenses, Probation/Warrant, Vehicles, and Radial Search. Enter any known search criteria in any of the search types. You can search on any combination of these categories. For example, select a height over 5’10”, are male and live within 5 miles of an entered address. All these selections combined will be used to determine your search. To change your selection or begin a new search, click one of the reset buttons. Note: Reset Panel resets search criteria on current tab only. Reset All button clears all entries on all tabs.
Notes about the list of offenders
The colored boxes under the Search button indicate the number of offenders found in each Web Status category.
The first column (on the left) may have a small yellow triangle with an exclamation point. This indicates that the primary residence address of the offender has a bad geocode. Offenders that have bad geocodes cannot be mapped in the application or the public website, cannot be notified properly either by email or by US mail. Often the bad geocode is the result of a poor address entry. Check your data and try again. If the data looks correct, contact us and we will try to improve the mapping of the address in the software. Not all addresses are mappable right away. Sometimes we have to improve on the publicly available mapping data to obtain a good geocode.
The list can be resorted by clicking on a column heading.
By default, the list is sorted by last name in ascending order. This is indicated by the white UP arrow in the “Offender Name” column heading.
Sorting can be used to group all the Active offenders for example.
Note also that the “Print List” will use the order of the resort, so if you wanted to print the list by zip code, click on the Zip column heading then click on the “Print List” button.
To group the list by Status, left-click on the “Status” column heading as shown:
Notice the list has now grouped all the offenders by Status.
The available statuses include:
The offender status determines whether offender data is published on public web sites. Generally, "active" status offenders are published, while other statuses are not, however, these may be configured as publishable per agency request. Contact support@watchsystems.com if your needs include this.
Starting from the Main OffenderWatch window, click on the “Offender Search” button.
There are two main sections displayed: “Search Parameters” and “Search Results”.
In the “Search Parameters” section is a tab titled “Offender Details”. On that panel is a field called “Last Name:”. Type the letter “g” in that box and then click on the “Search” button.
The result is shown below:
Starting from the Main OffenderWatch window, click on the “Offender Search” button.
There are two main sections displayed: “Search Parameters” and “Search Results”.
In the “Search Parameters” section is a tab titled “Vehicles”. Click on the title.
On the panel shown below, click on Make, select “Ford”.
Then click on click on Color, select “Red”.
Click on the “Search” button.
Notice the blue circle next to the “Vehicles” tab. This indicates that the data you have entered on the panel will be used in the search.
It is possible to combine parameters on several panels in the search.
Use this search to locate all the offenders that live within a certain distance of a school or a park, etc.
Starting from the Main OffenderWatch window, click on the “Offender Search” button.
There are two main sections displayed: “Search Parameters” and “Search Results”.
In the “Search Parameters” section is a tab titled “Radial Search”. Click on the title.
On the panel shown below, fill in the address which will be at the center of the search.
Click on the “Search” button.
From this screen, the user can also search for offenders in violation of proximity rules, such as offenders registered at addresses within a defined distance from a school, park, etc. If you require this feature, contact Watch Systems technical support to set up the safety zone addresses (schools, daycare centers, parks, etc.) and the minimum distance requirements. If your office has set up this feature, you may use the proximity rules violation search by simply checking the box at the bottom of the search pane.
Intelligence or Comments Keyword Seach
To find an offender record containing free text intelligence or comments information, enter the desired text in either the search field labeled comments keyword or intel keyword. This will search all offender records comments or intelligence data for matching text.
You may also use the "Email/IM" field to locate offender records containing a known computer user name, email address, IM name, etc.
The Offender Details tab now contains a search field called "Assoc. Name". This allows the user to search the database for offenders with a specific associate listed in their record. Full or partial names may be typed into the field, and once the search field is populated, the user is given the option of selecting the associate relation (parent, child, sibling, friend, other, etc.) to further narrow the search. Here, we have searched for all offenders with an associated named "Smith".
To clear all the search parameters on the Vehicles panel (for example), click on the “Reset Panel” button. Search parameters entered on other tabs will not be cleared.
To clear all the search parameters on all the panels, click on the “Reset All” button. Then click on the “Search” button to refresh the list.
After you have displayed a list of offenders, you can display a map of where they live. Click on the “Map Results” button to display a window similar to the following. You can zoom the map by left-clicking on it. The offenders addresses will be indicated by a red circle with the number of the offender in black digits.
After you have displayed a list of offenders, you can print the list by clicking on the “Print List” button. A window will appear similar to the following:
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You can view the report first then click on the “Print” button to send it to a printer.
After you have displayed a list of offenders, you can create a file containing the offender details in comma delimited format. The file will contain details about each offender including name, address, crime committed, vehicles, scars and aliases. You begin the process by clicking the "Export List" button on the search results window.
When you click on the “Export List” button, a window appears for you to select the destination file name and location:
After the file has been created, you can view it in a spreadsheet program and it will look similar to:
After you have displayed a list of offenders, you can right-click on a row in the list to display actions to be taken on a particular offender:
Each of the options will be explained in the following sections.
Starting from the Main OffenderWatch window, click on the “Offender Search” button.
Then on the List Offenders window, click on the “Search” button.
On the list of offenders, right-click a row, then use the mouse to select “Edit Offender”. (Please note, after changing any information in any tab of the offender's record, you must hit the "save" button at the bottom of the screen to record the changes.)
Initially, the following window will be displayed (you could also double-click on an offender in the list to start Edit Offender):
This is the Edit Offender, Main tab, General sub-tab.
Explanation of the fields
Fields inside the blue “Identification” box are: Fields inside the blue “Registration” box are:
· first, middle and last name of the offender · SSN – social security number · DL – driver's license number · DL State – driver license state · Reg # - registration number · Alt # - alternate registration number · Status – the status of the offender · Publish – a green check in this box allows offender data to be published on public web sites |
· Assigned to – Individual or agency responsible for verification · Verify Days – number of days between offender check-in · Risk – levels as determined by your agency · Non-Compliant – Non-compliant or compliant Registration start and End dates |
This is the Edit Offender, Main tab, Physical sub-tab:
Explanation of the abbreviations
DOB – date of birth, enter in mm/dd/yyyy format
POB – Place of birth
Orient – orientation
Nat. - nationality
Weight is in pounds.
DNA ID/Loc -- user may enter the DNA identification number or the location.
Change Employment / School Information:
This is the Edit Offender, Work/School/Volunteer tab:
Enter the type (work/school/volunteer) and the name and address location. Note that address is entered in several sub-fields using the same conventions as in "Add Offender". This helps ensure maximum accuracy in mapping the address location.
Additional information fields are to the right. Use the scroll bar at the bottom to view and/or edit these fields as applicable.
Select the current employer and/or school as the 'primary'.
To remove an Employment / School entry, right-click on the row, then click on “Delete this entry”.
This is the Edit Offender, “Marks/Alias/Internet” tab, Scars_Tattoos sub-tab:
Click under the “Type” column to select either “Scar”, “Mark”, or “Tattoo”.
Click under the “Location” column to select area of the body.
The “Description” column is free form text.
To delete an entry, select the line to be deleted, right click and select "delete this entry".
This is the Edit Offender, “Identifying Marks” tab, “Aliases” sub-tab:
All fields on this table are free form text. On this screen, the Date of Birth, DL#, SSN, etc. fields are for information associated with the alias. For example, if the offender has used a fake driver's license number in the past, that number may be entered here.
Internet information is shown in the "Marks/Alias/Internet" tab, "Internet" subtab. Enter any applicable screen names, IM names, email addresses, etc. on this screen.
This is the “Address/Phone” tab, “Addresses” sub-tab:
Again, addresses should be entered using the several fields (St. Number, Dir. Prefix, Street, etc.) to ensure accurate mapping. The "county" field is a manually entered field that should be entered to facilitate certain searches from other areas of the software.
Scrolling to the right using the scroll bar at the bottom of the screen reveals several other fields. Select the home address as "primary". The "minors at address" check box can be used to indicate if minors are living in the home. (note: Details on minors in the home can be entered under the "Associates" tab). Comments may also be entered. A history of former addresses may be kept in this list and used for investigative purposes. The “Type” column offers four choices: Home, temporary, mailing, or Other.
Change Residence Phone Numbers
This is the “Address/Phone” tab, “Phones” sub-tab:
Click on the check box to select one phone as the primary.
This is the Edit Offender, “Vehicles” tab:
Click on the following columns to display a drop down list: Type, Make, Model, Style, Color1, Color2, State. Use the scroll bar at the bottom to view more information to the right.
If you need additional makes or models, please contact us.
This is the Edit Offender, “Offenses” tab:
On the left side is the Crime Code table, to the right are additional fields city/state/county of the offense and court case information. Below are four tabs to include details of each offense, including general information, victim information, crime information, and weapon information. The "Committed"/"Convicted"/ "Released" dates and the information in the "info" tabs are specific to the offense selected in the list above. Note that information in the blue boxes as well as information on the "crime info" tab may be included in public websites and in mailings.
Note, to delete an offense, it may be necessary to move the mouse pointer over to the Primary column then Right-click and select “Delete this entry”.
To add a type of offense not currently available in the drop down list please contact us.
This is the Edit Offender, “Photo” tab:
You may have several photos saved for the selected offender. Select the desired photo from the thumbnail images below and click the "get image" button to view in the larger pane. If no images are loaded, "no image available" will be noted next to the photo pane. To add an offender photo, select the "browse" button to locate the image on your computer and then select "upload new image".
One photo should be selected as "primary" for inclusion in mailings and display on the public web site. To select the primary image, select it from the thumbnail images (so it is displayed in the photo pane), then select the "Set Current as Primary" button. You may select any of the photos and enter date and comment information in the boxes to the right.
Note: Uploading a new image or deleting an image will take effect immediately, whereas all the others take effect only after you click on the Save button.
This is the Edit Offender, “Comments” tab:
Enter other publicly disclosable information here such as ages of victims. These comments will appear on the website and in mailings.
Law enforcement intelligence information (not published) may be entered here. Free text in the first tab ("Intelligence"), additional images, and past arrest information may be entered in the other two tabs.
From the bottom of any edit offender screen, if you do not want to save any changes you have made to the offender's record, click on the Cancel button.
To save all the changes you have made, click on the Save button:
Saving to the database will take a few moments, when complete you will see:
On the list of offenders, right-click a row, then use the mouse to select “Delete Offender”:
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The system will respond with a confirmation of deleting the offender and show the registration number:
Choose OK to delete the record or Cancel to keep the record. Note that an inadvertently deleted record may be recoverable. Contact Watch Systems for assistance if this is necessary.
The Edit Recipients menu allows the user to enter a list of notification recipients who need to be notified based on criteria other than the standard radial proximity. For example, this list may be used to facilitate notification of all schools and daycare centers for all offender registrations in the city.
To add a special recipient, select “Edit Recipients” and then select “Add A Special Recipient” from the drop down box.
Enter the appropriate contact information for the special recipient and select the form of notification (email, physical, or both). Then select the special notification criteria.
Notification criteria may be defined based on offender registrations in the same city, county, or within a specified distance. For notification criteria of “city” or “county,” the OffenderWatch program will trigger special notifications based on a match to the “city” or “county” fields of offender registration records. It is important to recognize that a misspelling or missing entry for City or County in either an offender record or a special recipient record may result in a missed notification if the City or County option is chosen.
Click “Save” to add the special recipient.
To view a list of Special recipients or to Edit or Delete a Special Recipient, select “Edit Recipients” and then select “Edit/Delete a Special Recipient” from the drop down box.
To see a list of all special recipients, click the “Search” button, or you may fill in a partial name or other field and then click “Search” to see a narrowed list.
Select the record to edit by double clicking on it. Edit the information as needed and click “Save” when complete.
The “Edit Responsibility” menu option allows the user to add or update information about persons or adepartments responsible for offender supervision. Departments or personnel names entered through this portion of OffenderWatch will be selectable from a drop down box on the offender information while adding or updating offender information.
To add a responsible department or person, from the “Edit Responsibility” menu, select “Add Responsibility.” Enter all applicable contact information for the agency or person in the box provided and click “Save” when finished.
To edit or delete agency or personnel information, select the “Edit/Delete Responsibility” from the drop down menu. Click the “Search” box to see a list of all responsible agencies or personnel, or narrow the search by entering search criteria in the fields provided.
Select the record you want to edit or delete. Double click the record to edit. Update information as applicable and click “Save” when complete.
To delete a responsibility, right click the record and then select “Delete Responsibility.” Note that deleting a responsibility or changing the agency or individual name will result in the removal of that agency or person from “assigned to” fields of offender records for all offenders for whom the agency or individual is responsible.
The Verification menu allows users to determine which offenders need to be verified and to document verifications requested or completed.
To identify offenders in need of verifications, a variety of search methods are available. User may select a search method of 1) offenders with no verification date (useful when assigning verification schedules to offenders who have not previously been on a verification schedule within OffenderWatch, 2) All verifications due - list all offenders with their next verification date, 3) Specific Date Range - all offenders due for verification within a specific date window. Check the appropriate check box for the type of search you wish to perform.
Additionally, from this search tab, user can specify additional search parameters, including repsonsibility, zone, verification type, or verification status.
User may also click the Show Search Options button (bottom, left of search pane) to display all the traditional search tabs. Adding criteria on other panes allows the user to futher specify the search. For example, below, a search for all level one offenders due for verification is performed.
A map can also be printed showing each Offenders location that needs to be verified by clicking the Map Results button. Users can export the list for use in Excel or other programs by clicking the “Export List” button.
Once a list of offenders due for verification has been returned (via search), A verification calendar can be generated by selecting the calendar button. Note that the verifications indicated on the calendar are the ones returned by the search. Verifications due outside the specified date range are not displayed on the calendar. Modify the verifications search dates as needed to view desired results on the calendar.
To access offender's verification record for viewing or update, select the offender from the list, right click and select "Edit Verifications". The offender's verification schedule will then be displayed. Record may also be accessed from the entry on the verification calendar by double clicking on the record. Note that the Verifications schedule and record may also be accessed by right clicking the offender record in the "search offender" function. The following screen will be displayed.
Editing Verifications Schedule:
From the Edit Verifications screen, you may add or remove verification schedules, enter or change next verification due date and anniversary dates.
If you wish to add or remove a schedule for a verification type (in this view, Annual, Quarterly, monthly, and semi-annual) from the offender (i.e. add a special semi-annual schedule), check or uncheck the selection boxes next to the verification type. For any types checked, you may enter verification data such as status, anniversary date, comments, etc.
To save changes, click "OK" (saves and exits) or "Apply" (saves and stays on the same screen). To exit without saving, click "Cancel".
Also from the Edit Verifications screen, user records completion of verifications or other status change by selecting a choice in the verification status box. Choices available are:
If no date is filled in under "verify date", the current date is recorded for the change. Only a status of “verified – OK” will reset a new verification due date for an offender. Other verification status choices are intended to be used for informational and management purposes only.
A typical routine for use of the verification status feature will be as follows:
1. Offender checks in with initial registration and gives address - status is set to “updated – not verified”
2. Offender address is requested to be verified to the responsible district or officer – status is set to “requested” (see section for Verification Request to print a request form)
3. Offender is either verified as OK or verified as AWOL – set status accordingly and decide whether to also set non-compliant switch for web site to show offender there as non-compliant.
To see verification history, select the box labeled “Show Verification History.” This history will include other status conditions such as “requested” and “updated-not verified”. User may also elect to view history by verification type, such as view all quarterlt verifications as in example below.
A printout of the Verification history may be generated from this screen by clicking the "Print Verification History" button. Click "Close" to exit.
Administrator Setup of Verification Levels:
Watch Systems can configure verification levels according to your agency’s accepted conventions and practice. Each verification level can be assigned an agency-defined name and time interval. Example: “Annual re-registration” every 365 days, or “monthly drive-by” every 30 days. Up to five verification types and intervals may be defined for your agency.
Watch Systems has initially setup the following default verification levels and intervals
Please contact Watch Systems support at rrichardson@watchsystems.com or 888-WATCH12 (888-928-2412) for assistance in setting up customized level names and intervals for your office, if desired.
On the list of offenders, right-click a row, then use the mouse to select “Mailing Estimate Request”. A sub-menu with “Residence Address” and “Employment Address” will appear:
Clicking on “Residence Address” will produce a window similar to:
By default, the primary address will be shown first. If the offender has multiple addresses, you can click on the “Street” box to select a different one.
The default mailing radius is set up for each individual agency according to its laws or requirements.
Remember, only good geocode addresses are available for mailing estimates.
Click on the “Estimate” button and the system will search for all addresses within the specified mailing radius distance from offender's address. It will return a Request number, Address Count, and Cost. The Results boxes will be filled in similar to:
To generate a hard copy of the mailing request form, click on the “Print Request” button at the bottom of the previous window. The form will appear similar to:
You may keep a copy of the request for your records. The signed form may also be faxed to Watch Systems as a request for mailing services, however we prefer the request be communicated by email as follows:
As an alternative to printing the Mailing Request form, signing it and then faxing it to Watch Systems, you can send an email to Watch Systems automatically.
From the “Request Mailing Estimate” window, click on the “Email Request” button at the bottom of the screen.
We recap the steps to get to this window:
From the Main OffenderWatch window, click on the “Offender Search” button.
On the “List Offenders” window, click on the “Search” button in the middle of the screen.
In the list of offenders found, Right-click on an offender. In the menu that is displayed, put the mouse pointer on “Mailing Estimate Request”.
A sub-menu of “Residence Address” and “Employment Address” will appear. Click on the “Residence Address”.
That brings you to the “Request Mailing Estimate” window shown below, where we click on the “Email Request” button:
The following window is displayed:
Fill in your name and email address, then click on the “Email Request” button. This will send an email to Watch Systems who will then handle the mailings to all the addresses within the radius of the offender.
This is a report that shows all of the information for a particular offender, including the photo. To view the report:
From the Main OffenderWatch window, click on the “Offender Search” button.
On the “List Offenders” window, click on the “Search” button in the middle of the screen.
In the list of offenders found, Right-click on an offender. In the menu that is displayed, click on “Offender Report” as shown:
A window similar to the following will appear:
After reviewing the report, you can send it to the printer
by clicking on the “Print...” button.
Verification Request
The verification request produces the same report as “Offender Report” with the addition of signature and date lines at the bottom. To view this report, Right-click on a row in the list of offenders and select “Verification Request” as shown:
Here is the resulting report:
After reviewing the report, you can send it to the printer
by clicking on the “Print...” button.
Offender Export
This function creates a file containing the offender information in XML format.
(Note: To export offender information in comma delimited format (CSV) do:
Search for the offender by Registration number so that the returned list only contains the one offender. Then click on the “Export List” button near the middle of the screen.)
To start the XML export, Right-click on the offender in the list and choose “Offender Export”:
This screen will be displayed:
Click on the “Browse” button to select the destination directory and file name. Click on the “Export” button to start the process.
The XML file can be viewed using Internet Explorer:
This function shows the address of an offender on a map. On the List of Offenders, Right-click on a row and select “Map Offender” as shown:
A window similar to the following will be shown:
The offender name will appear in black letters in a red circle.
User can left-click on the map to zoom in. For more navigation tools, use the vertical scroll bar in the right-middle of the screen to move to the bottom of the map, as shown below, and select “Zoom Out” or “Center” with mouse click, or enter a map width manually. Click “Update Map” to refresh the map with new display parameters.
Use the REACH Tool to calculate the distance between two addresses in feet and miles. This is useful when trying to determine if a resident is eligible for a notification based on radial rules or for any other purpose involving computing the distance between two addresses. On the Main OffenderWatch menu, click on “Utilities” then “REACH Tool” as shown:
The following window is displayed where you can enter two addresses and click on the “Calculate Distance” button:
To load an agency image that will appear on the mailings, from the main OffenderWatch menu, click on the “System” menu. Place the mouse pointer on “Agency Setup”. This will open a sub-menu with “Logos/Images” as an option:
Click on “Logos/Images” to open the following window:
To Change The Mailing Sidebar Image
Click on the “Show Image” button to display the current logo.
To change the image, click on the “Delete Image” button.
Click on the “Find Image” button and select your new image file,
then click on the “Upload Image” button to save the image in the database.
To Change The Website Banner
Click on the “Website Banner” tab near the top:
Click on the “Show Image” button to display the current logo.
To change the image, click on the “Delete Image” button.
Click on the “Find Image” button and select your new image file,
then click on the “Upload Image” button to save the image
in the database.
Change Agency Defaults
This functions allows you to change the agency contact, billing information, default mailing radius and mailings sidebar text.
From the main OffenderWatch menu, click on the “System” menu. Click on “Administrator Setup”:
A window similar to the following will be displayed:
Click on the Tabs, make changes and then click on the “OK”
button to save.
Administering Usernames and Passwords
On the main OffenderWatch System menu, put the mouse cursor on “User Setup”, click on “List Current Users” as shown:
The following window will be displayed:
Click on the “Search” button to display all the users under your agency.
Right-click on a row in the list as shown:
Click on “Edit User” to display the following window:
On this screen you can change the name of the person using this username,
change the password or security level.
On the “List Current Users” window, click on the “Print
List” button as shown:
The following window will be displayed:
On the main OffenderWatch System menu, select User Setup/Add User as shown:
The following window will be displayed:
Fill in the fields and click the “Add User” button. Login names and passwords
may be any eight character combination of letters and numbers. Security levels
are Admin (can add user names and other administrative fields) , Read/Write
(can update offender information and all non administrative fields) and Read
Only (can view any info and search all fields but cannot change data).
Contact information
Call Watch Support at 985-871-8110 or email us at Support@watchsystems.com
