Panola County Sheriff’s Office joins national OffenderWatch network

Batesville, Mississippi — The Panola County Sheriff’s Office announced March 27, 2026, that it has joined the nationwide OffenderWatch sex offender registry network, the office said. The sheriff’s office said the move will allow deputies to share data and collaborate on investigations with other law enforcement agencies across the country.

“Panola County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to join the coast-to-coast OffenderWatch network in order to better share information, coordinate investigations, and collaborate on sex offenders,” Sheriff Shane Phelps said. He said deputies save hours researching and re-entering data because offender records are shared between agencies.

OffenderWatch said it serves more than 15,000 unique users in 33 states and is used by more than 3,500 local and state law enforcement agencies. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children estimates there are more than 900,000 registered sex offenders in the United States, the sheriff’s office noted.

Residents can search for offenders and subscribe to free email alerts on the Panola County Sheriff’s Office website at http://www.sheriffalerts.com/ms/Panola, the sheriff’s office said. OffenderWatch also offers a free app for Android and iPhone that the company said lets users see registered sex offenders near them and receive real-time alerts.

“We believe data shared between law enforcement agencies leads to better investigations and safer cities and counties,” Mike Cormaci, president and co-founder of OffenderWatch, said. OffenderWatch said it was founded in 2000 in Covington, Louisiana, and has partnered with multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and launched its mobile app in 2019.

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