Information Provided:  

Access profiles directly by name in the search or from the interactive map. Profiles contain a physical description including distinguishing marks, both residence and work addresses plus employer name. Offense information is limited to statute, name, parish and date. This is the place to add offense designations: Child Predator, Sexually Violent, etc.

A map is available pinpointing the offender’s location, but it is not the interactive map from the search function. Better integration is possible. 

Search Functions:  

Louisiana’s search and mapping functions are different than most sites. Begin with either a name search or a map search by parish. Click on a parish and you will get a mapping of offenders. From this point, you may zoom in on a specific area or view a listing of offenders. Continue until you have defined the area of concern.

Note: Louisiana is not the only state to use the map with small blue square indicating a single offender at a location and larger blue square indicating multiple offenders. These icons are difficult to discriminate between; a more useful system should be considered.

The search results list includes a photo, name, address and parish. An offender designation should be added here and as search criteria. If added as a search option, the site would be far more informative.

Additional Site Features:  

Louisiana offers an email notification service to be alerted when a sex offender moves into your area. History, registration requirements, and legal information are offered, but Louisiana’s registry lacks safety and prevention resources. 

Ease of Use:  

Options are clearly labeled on function buttons and you can move between pages easily. Replacing the static map in the profiles with the interactive map in the search function would improve integration. Profiles display in pop-up windows, which can interrupt navigation. Louisiana is one of the only sites to offer a help section, which clearly and carefully explains all of the site’s features and their functions.

Contact Information:  

Contact Louisiana’s State Sex Offender and Child Predator Registry by phone or email. 

Louisiana presents a comprehensive site with useful mapping capabilities and detailed profiles. Integrating the map into the profiles, adding community resources, and most important, designating offenders by category with a complementary search function would lift Louisiana to a higher ranking.