BENTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark — More than 40 sex offenders in Benton County are behind bars today after a three-day compliance operation hosted by the sheriff's office.
Over the three-day period, more than 100 law enforcement officers from more than a dozen agencies made surprise visits to around 270 sex offenders, arresting 44 of them and sending out two warrants.
“To ensure that the folks who are registered sex offenders living in Benton County know that law enforcement is going to be checking up on them routinely,” said Benton County Prosecuting Attorney, Nathan Smith. “More often than they have in the past."
The sheriff's office said most charges were related to them failing to register themselves as sex offenders, non-compliance, and being in possession of drugs or firearms.
Among the nearly 270 individual offenders investigators were able to contact, 222 were reportedly in compliance. During the course of the operation, authorities said they seized 26 "devices" and eight firearms.
Agencies included in the operation included the US Marshals, Arkansas State Police, the FBI and Homeland Security along with several local police departments.
Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Nathan Smith said he hopes this outcome will send a message.
"It was a very successful operation to ensure that the folks who are registered sex offenders living in Benton County know that law enforcement is going to check on them more routinely [and] more often than they have in the past. And hopefully, it promotes not only that belief but an assurance in doing that to promote public safety."
Participating agencies:
- Benton County Sheriff’s Office
- United States Marshal’s Service
- Bentonville Police Department
- Rogers Police Department
- Pea Ridge Police Department
- Bella Vista
- Centerton Police Department
- Arkansas Probation and Patrol
- Gentry Police
- Decatur Police Department
- Siloam Springs Police Department
- Arkansas State Police
- Springdale Police Department
- Baxter County
- FBI
- HIS
“Hopefully by this operation, we demonstrate that law enforcement is going to regularly, it’s going to be checking up regularly unannounced,” Smith said.
Benton County hopes to do another large-scale operation again.“We will more than likely do a Halloween...we normally do an operation with probation and parole to do some random checks,” said Benton County Sheriff Shawn Holloway.
The Benton County Sheriff's Office said multiple federal investigations are being opened following the operation.
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