Dona Ana County Sheriff Todd Garrison on Monday unveiled a new sex offender Web site titled "Offender Watch" that will allow county residents to enter their address and see whether any registered sex offenders live nearby, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported.

The new database can be found as a link on the Dona Ana County Web site at www.donaanacounty.org. 

Users also may search for a specific offender by name and receive an update when an offender moves into the area, the Sun-News said. In addition, the Web site provides safety tips and posts information about any new laws pertaining to sex offenders, the paper reported.

"The law requires sex offenders to report themselves to the county," Garrison said Monday at a news conference introducing the new Web site. "This information is updated as we get notified. This Web site is just another tool people of Dona Ana County can utilize."

Garrison said there are currently 205 registered sex offenders in Dona Ana County, of whom 176 have been entered into the database, the Sun-News said.

Unlike the state of New Mexico's sex offender registry, "Offender Watch" will be updated by sheriff's office personnel daily, the paper reported.

Each offender is identified by address with an accompanying photograph and a list of the sex crimes for which the offender has been convicted, the Sun-News said.

Deputy Lucas Alvarez said the Web site is the first of its kind in the state, and because it guarantees that the offenders are confirmed by the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office, it is superior to state and national offender registries that can't always guarantee their listings, the paper reported. 

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