SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — Sheriff’s deputies across Georgia are preparing for their yearly sweep of registered sex offenders, a weeklong push known as Operation Watchful Eye that runs Oct. 26 through Nov. 2 and covers the Halloween period.
During the operation, deputies knock on doors to confirm that offenders actually live at the addresses they have on file, check that they are following the rules of the registry and arrest those who are not. The aim is to keep tabs on where offenders are and to enforce state registration requirements.
The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office announced this week that it will take part for the 11th straight year. During last year’s round, Effingham deputies made two arrests and issued two warrants.
The effort is a coordinated, statewide one. When the 10th edition ran from Sept. 22 to 29, 2025, 87 sheriff’s offices took part, joined by U.S. Marshals, probation officers and staff from the Georgia Department of Community Supervision. Statewide, officers came away from that week with 48 people arrested and 235 warrants taken out over registry violations.
Results vary widely by county. In Dougherty County, which had 266 registered sex offenders at the time, the 2025 checks produced 13 warrants after deputies reached out at 60 addresses.
Residents who want to know who is registered near them can search the state sex offender registry. Under state law, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation serves as the central keeper of that registry, though the information comes from other agencies and changes often, so the GBI cautions that it cannot guarantee every entry is accurate.
Section: More Atlanta GA crime news
Filed under: Atlanta GA Public Safety News
