An effort to check the compliance of Halifax County's 114 registered sex offenders in a single day led to the verification of 102.

Nine were found out of compliance and warrants will drawn, Sheriff Wes Tripp said at news conference with United States Marshals and the state Division of of Public Safety's Adult Supervision. The State Bureau of Investigation also participated in the 40-officer effort dubbed Operation Resolves.

The remaining three are currently locked up in prison or jail, Tripp said.

(The state sex offender registry may be found by following this link)

With the marshal's Violent Fugitive Task Force taking a lead in enforcement of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, the officers set out Tuesday at 6 a.m. to check on the whereabouts of the offenders, the Marshals Service said in a statement.

Tripp credited much of the work not only to the cooperating agencies, but the work of Lieutenant Fred Whitaker who maintains the database, which includes those charged with sexual assaults and other sex offenses.

Tripp said the sweeps, just as other criminal investigations, are done as a matter of public safety as those on the registry must comply with numerous restrictions, including no social media accounts, registering every vehicle they own and any changes in appearance.

The Marshals Service said in the statement the joint operation is the first of its kind in Halifax County, and follows the successful conclusion of other such operations sponsored by marshals in the Eastern District of North Carolina.

The Walsh Act is aimed at sex offenders who fail to comply with state law by moving from state to state and fail to notify the required authorities of their current location.

Prior to this federal law, such sex offenders could easily move to new communities undetected, where they were less likely to be recognized and therefore more readily able to offend again on unsuspecting victims and their families, the Marshals Service said.

To that end, the service said, Sex Offender Investigations Coordinators are stationed in every judicial district throughout the United States and its territories.

Marshals have developed a system of partnering with state and local agencies responsible for managing and maintaining sex offender registries, and for dealing with any such offenders who fail to obey legal obligations and restrictions applicable to them by order of the courts.

Since the inception of the program in 2006, the service has initiated 20,153 investigations regarding registered sex offenders who were not in compliance. Based on these investigations, 3,782 federal warrants have been received and 3,077 Adam Walsh Act fugitives have been arrested.

“We have always had a strong working relationship with the federal government,” Tripp said at the press event.

Scott Parker, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of North Carolina, said in the statement, “Operation Resolve is a great example of what federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies can accomplish when they work together to accomplish a common goal. The safety of the citizens and children residing in Eastern North Carolina is a top priority of the U.S. Marshals. I would like to personally thank all of the law enforcement officers, citizens, and media for all of their personal sacrifices during this operation.”

Said Tripp in the statement: “The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshals Service have coordinated Operation Resolve, assisted by North Carolina Probation and Parole and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. This operation is part of the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office and United States Marshals commitment to ensure that sex offenders follow release guidelines and to enhance public safety.”

Tripp said the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office has dedicated resources to continually monitor offenders; however coordination with other agencies allows for exchange of information, detection of internet offenders, and identification of probation violations. “The manpower hours alone supplement our efforts to an appreciable level. I wish to thank the agencies for their continued dedication and commitment to the citizens of Halifax County. This is another example of how working together works. I would further encourage the public to report any sex offender information to the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office.”

Said Johnny Hawkins, security services director for adult correction and juvenile justice, “This coordinated operation between law enforcement partners lets supervised sex offenders know that we are committed to ensuring they follow the law and the terms of their supervision.”