LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB Fox 41)---It's a back to school project unlike any other for authorities in Clark County.
Fourteen officers and five detectives with the Clark County Sheriff's Office spent Saturday conducting a blitz to track down where every sex offender was living. The operation was titled "Project Verify".
The goal is making sure sex offenders in Clark County live where they are registered and have the proper identification.
"Currently we have 213 sex offenders who live in Clark County. We're responsible for over 300. The difference in numbers would be those that just work, or go to school in Clark County or own property," says Sergeant Tim Franklin with the Clark County Sheriff's Office.
Making contact with sex offenders is something they say already happens at least once a year, but this is the first time the Sheriff's Office attempted to contact every sex offender in one day.
They say with school back in session it's important to do.
"So what we're going to do is make sure we know where the offenders are. It helps keep the kids at the bus stop safe," says Sergeant Franklin.
For some of those offenders,it means not being able to live close to where children play.
"The 1,000 foot rule is you can't reside near a school, playground area, or public park or daycare center. That rule doesn't apply to all sex offenders. It just depends on their conviction," says Sergeant Tim Franklin.
For the sex offenders they aren't able to track down, authorities say they'll take action by filing for warrants. The sex offenders who are no longer living where they are supposed to are expected to face a felony charge for failing to register.
With help from the U.S. Marshals service, they hope to eventually figure out where they are living.
In the coming days, we should know how many sex offenders authorities are still looking for.
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