Authorities Search For Registered Sex Offenders In Cleveland County

On Tuesday, deputies, police officers and U.S. marshals from all over the metro converged on Cleveland County looking for registered sex offenders, making sure they are in compliance and not living near any schools, parks, or other places children play.

They also checked to make sure the offenders aren't breaking any other laws and check to make sure they have the correct address, phone number, contact information and employment verification for every registered sex offender in their system.

A total of 16 teams left the Cleveland County Detention Center early Tuesday morning looking for a total of 120 registered sex offenders.

News 9 tagged along with one of the teams to see exactly what dangers these teams really face when tracking these offenders down. Our first stop took us way out to Etowah Road in far Southeast Cleveland County.

“It's random. We go out there day and night, anytime,” said Deputy Alex Stasyszen with the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office who is in charge of the Cleveland County Sheriff's office Sex Offender Compliance program.

“So they should always stay in compliance, because they never know when we're coming.”

Many of the registered sex offenders these officers have to check on have limited places to live and are also limited to who they are allowed to live with inside their homes.

Each person has to be accounted for and listed as an approved person on the list. The offender is not allowed to live with anyone who is not on the list and is usually restricted from living with minors outside their immediate family.

Out of the 120 registered sex offenders on their list, the teams were able to make contact with 83 of them. As for the ones who weren't home, the deputies say they will be back to check on them and may be bringing some of them back here to the jail if they determine they are not in compliance with the rules.

“When they register, there's a list of rules. They know all of them,” said Stasyszen. “If we can't find them we continue to search for them and then a warrant will come out for them because they are not in compliance.”

But even with that, there are risks when these officers go out. Whether its dogs running loose in the front yard or not knowing exactly what dangers lie behind the doors they are knocking on, that can be unnerving for even the most seasoned officer.

“It can be [unnerving] at times, especially at night if you go there alone,” said Stasyszen. “We usually try to roll with a partner just for officer safety, we never do things alone.”

Besides the US Marshals and Cleveland County Sheriff's office deputies, officers from the Department of Corrections and Pardon and Parole aided in Operation Spring Clean, as well as police officers from Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore and Noble.