Woods Cross gets backlash after tweeting sex offender profiles

3-3-2012 Utah:

WOODS CROSS, Utah - Sex offenders were going to get Twitter introductions when they moved to Woods Cross until police were flooded with angry calls.

Woods Cross P.D. sent its first tweet this week, saying "New to the area" with a link to the sex offender registry.

Most people know a child is every parent's prized possession. They do whatever they can to keep them safe. An online sex offender registry is a good place to start to find out who lives nearby. “People probably want to know if that individual is in the neighborhood,” said Jason Hess, who has children of his own.

Every time an offender moved in, officers planned on posting their profile on the department's twitter page. “I think it would be handy for people that are more tech savvy than me,” commented Tracey Peterson, another parent.

Now, the police department is scraping the plan, because of community backlash- accusing them of causing people to live in fear.

For some parents, the plan was a way to protect their children. “My daughter goes to school right here and she walks this busy street. She expressed to me the other day her concern about wanting to get home more quickly,” said Hess. ..Source.. by Antonio Lujan