Ottawa police hope the release of numbers of registered sex offenders per-postal code doesn’t affect the 97% compliance rate they’ve been enjoying locally.

Ontario’s corrections ministry recently released a 2008-era database of registered sex offenders in response to a Supreme Court ruling that ended a six-year court battle by Global News. The database allows users to search an area code and find out how many registered sex offenders live in that area.

A search of 36 Ottawa area codes turned up 552 registered sex offenders. There were only six area codes which didn’t have a single registered sex offender living within its boundary. The database doesn’t disclose name or addresses.

Deputy Chief Jill Skinner said police will be watching closely to see if the 97% compliance rate stays the same now that the public has access to this kind of information. She hopes sex offenders don’t “go underground” as a result. Skinner said in parts of the U.S. — where sex offenders are identified by their address — police have a 60% compliance rate.

“Christopher’s Law was intended to be confidential, but we think this is broad enough that it won’t infringe on the compliance rate,” Skinner said.

The sex offender registry is managed by the OPP, based in Orillia. When someone from Ottawa Police jurisdiction is added to the list, the local force is notified and action is taken which varies, depending on the person’s risk assessment.

High-risk offenders are often met by police before they even leave the jail.

“High-risk offenders of sex crimes often don’t have much of a support network waiting for them,” Skinner said, adding that’s why police reach out to them and offer support.

She said sexual offences are often an addiction or dependency and she’s found offenders sometimes have other drug and alcohol dependencies. When the offender gives into one, the others will follow.

“They get back into that offending cycle,” she said.

New additions to the registry must come in to police HQ and fill out a form and have their photo taken. Police then follow-up and make sure they’re living at the address which was provided. This procedure is repeated at least every year.

The area of Ottawa with the highest concentration of registered sex offenders — again, based on 2008 data — is K1L and K1K in the Vanier area.

These are broad-based areas and some more specific areas may have no offenders within an area code. For example, K2J lists 8 while K2J 8S7 in Bells Corners has none.

doug.hempstead@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @DougHempstead

POSTAL CODEArea of cityNumber of sex offenders

K2K Dunrobin, Kanata area 3

K2W Carp area 1

K2H Kanata/Crystal Beach area 7

K2T Stittsville/Goulbourn area 1

K2M West Nepean 1

K2B Lincoln Fields area 20

K2G Nepean area 11

K2E Nepean area 5

K2J Barrhaven area 8

K1T East Barrhaven 13

K1V Limebank, airport area 22

K1G Belfast Rd. to North of Greely 26

K4P Greely area 1

K1T Lester/Albion area 13

K2A West Westboro

K1Z Westboro area 34

K1Y Tunney’s Pasture area 20

K1R Northwest downtown area 34

K2P Downtown area 22

K1S Rideau Canal, Old Ottawa South 10

K1H North of airport area 5

K2C Baseline, Prince of Wales area 24

K1N Lowertown area 33

K1M Rockcliffe area 2

K1L Vanier, West of Rockcliffe Park area 45

K1K Vanier, Overbrook area 46

K4A Orléans area 7

K1C Orléans, Blackburn area 8

K1E East Orléans 2

K1B Industrial park, Gloucester south 6

K1J Gloucester, Cardinal Heights area 18

K4A Innes Rd./ Trim area 7

K0A Southeast area 65

K4B Navan area 3

K4C Cumberland, Innes Rd. east area 1

K4K Clarence-Rockland area 16

There are only six area codes without any registered sex offenders: K2V, K2R, K4M, K1X, K1P and K1W.

These numbers are based on stats from May 2008.