Barton County to conduct canvas for offenders

GREAT BEND, Kan. (KSNW) — The Barton County Sheriff’s Office says it will be conducting a canvas of all registered sex offenders, drug offenders, and violent crime offenders in the county.

Under the Kansas Offender Registration Act, anyone convicted of a felony drug offense, violent crime, or sex crime has to register four times a year with local law enforcement in any county where they live, work, or attend school. That information is uploaded to a database linked to the KBI Registered Offenders page that can be searched by the public.

The Barton County Sheriff’s Office says there are currently 78 registered sex offenders, 90 drug offenders, and 36 violent offenders in the county. Thirteen are currently in jail, and seven are known for being non-compliant with the registry law.

The sheriff’s office says over the next few weeks that they will be traveling across the county checking to ensure offenders are living at the addresses they provided when they registered. Anyone found to not be living at the address provided will be referred to the county prosecutor for charges.

For more information about the Kansas Offender Registry, click here.