I spent hours scouring the web to search sex offender registries and find out whether homes we were looking at were in close proximity to convicted sex offenders. Being pregnant at the time, I became a bit obsessed. And it took forever to search out each home and map the nearby sex offenders. So, I have quite a bit of user experience when it comes to the sex offender search sites. I pride myself on my ability to find info on the internet for free. I'm pretty darn good at it. For that reason, when Intelius partnered with BlogHer and offered me the chance to try out and review their Neighborhood Monitoring service I was definitely intrigued. I wanted to see whether paying to access their site really did offer more than I could find on my own on the web for free.
I've used Intelius before in other ways. They are always my go to site for background searches on potential tenants in our rental property. I've never been disappointed with the services I purchased through them. But, sex offender info? I mean, that's already free, right? Why buy it when I can look it up on my own?
So I took the opportunity to see whether it was really info worth paying for. And, I must say that while the info is much the same as what you'll find on your own, the difference is in the ease and simplicity of the process. I was actually pretty shocked at how simple the whole thing was to navigate.
With one quick search I was able to see on a Microsoft Virtual Earth map where the closest registered sex offenders lived, what they were convicted of, when they were convicted, and (in most cases) an actual photo of them. Granted, I could have found all of that information on my own if I'd been willing to spend the time and effort looking. It would have taken clicking from site to site, mapping distances, and keeping track of it all on my own, though. I checked out a couple similar sites that offer searches for free and really truly found that no one offered such a user-friendly interface with the amount of info right at my fingertips. The best aspect, in my opinion, was the presentation of the information. The map was clear and easy to navigate, the information was concise and helpful, and the time it took to get the info was a fraction of what it would take me to locate all that on my own.
The whole thing was a very streamlined process. Not to mention, with Intelius' service you can actually search up to 3 separate addresses so you can see your home (or potential home if you're home buying), a grandparent's address, and even a school or park your child attends. I checked out my parents' home address and the local park we like to frequent just to get an idea of what type of people live closest to the places my girls spend the most time. The reports are also available for 45 days so it's good to know you'll have the ability to check out the information again if need be.
It's definitely a service I wish I'd known about during our home search a couple of years ago.
A lot of people have pretty strong opinions on whether this info is helpful. Some people find the information completely essential. Other parents I've spoken with have argued that it creates a false sense of security. But, I must say as someone who's pretty obsessed with researching as much as possible I tend to think that it is good to have as many facts as possible. It's the same reason I spend more time than I should researching the safety and reviews of every single car seat I buy. I just like to know exactly what I'm getting into.
Does knowing where the closest sex offenders live mean I've eliminated all chance of anything bad happening to my kids? No. Does it make me feel better to know that two doors down lives a young guy convicted of false imprisonment of a minor? Um...that, too, would be a no. However, do I think it is important to know that he's there and that he could be a potential threat to my kids regardless of how unlikely it might be? Yes, I really truly do. Every bit of info I have about my kids surroundings makes me able to make a better decision about what they do, where they do it, and what precautions I take along the way.
And that, I think, is always a good thing.
Want to know more about Intelius' Neighborhood Watch service? Visit www.intelius.com to get the details. And be sure to check out Intelius' free iSearch people search. It's a pretty cool way to find people on the web. Not only does it search regular public records and web pages, but it also searches social media sites as well to find the most comprehensive info available on a person. I must admit, it is super addictive. And if you know me in real life then chances are I've already iSearched you this week...
When it comes to these Intelius products/services, don't just take my word for it. Check out what other BlogHer Bloggers thought about the product offerings from Intelius!
This is a compensated review from Blogher and Intelius Search.
