CALHOUN CITY, Miss. (WTVA) -- The numbers can be researched by using the Mississippi Sexual Offenders Registry.
Calhoun County Sheriff Greg Pollan says he has noticed the trend.
In fact, we took a look at the Mississippi Sexual Offender Registry website for proof.
"This is the Calhoun City zip code, and there's one, two, just in the Calhoun City zip code there's seventeen," Pollan says as he types the zip code into the state registry online.
Seventeen sexual offenders, he says, living in the Calhoun City area alone.
We also checked Bruce and Vardaman for good measure.
It turns out that 34 registered sexual offenders are living in the county right now minus the seventeen in Calhoun City.
While that may not be the most appealing information at least one county resident says its information that's good to know.
"I think its very important to know and understand how many are in the community, where their locations are. So that we can be aware for our children. Making sure that they are not going to be exposed to this.And making sure that they're safe," said Donna Denton of Sabougla.
Thirty-four sexual offenders living in the county is shocking even to the sheriff.
But he says the number does not tell the whole story.
"The thing you have to look at over the last several years, is how the state laws have changed. They've added more offenses that would cause a person to be registered as a sex offender. In general we think of sexual offenders as someone who molested a child. But its much broader than that .There's even kidnapping charges that can cause a person to be registered as a sexual offender," said Sheriff Pollan.
Now Sheriff Pollan says sexual offenders live all over North Mississippi. Not just in Calhoun County.
He offers no great answers as to why many of of the offenders choose to live here in north Mississippi except perhaps the remoteness of some areas away from the glare of larger populations.
"You look at this state registry here and it will shock you at the numbers in the counties and possibly, and possibly even shock you that you have a neighbor living down the road from you and you didn't know it," the Sheriff continued.
But he says the registry is one good way to find out.
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety says it seeks to keep the sexual offender registry updated.
However, they point out that information can change quickly and may not reflect the current status, residence or other information about an offender.
