Most Jackson County sex offenders have registered as required, police found during a multi-agency sweep over the weekend.

Police found 43 offenders, or 8 percent, of the 537 checked were no longer living at the address registered with law enforcement, and were therefore out of compliance, officials reported Monday.

"It's very low," Jackson County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Andrea Carlson said. "To go to that many homes and have that many people (be) where they're supposed to be, that's great."

Those out of compliance either filled out the necessary paperwork to get up to date, were arrested then, or will be arrested later on warrants, Carlson explained.

Nine arrests were made during the sweep, some with additional charges of drug possession, violating a no-contact order or driving while suspended, others on past warrants.

"In law enforcement, we need to know where these individuals are," Carlson said, adding if a child goes missing, it's helpful to know where offenders are during that search. "It's a safety thing. (Police) are just going to double check."

Sheriff's deputies joined officers from Medford, Phoenix, Talent, Ashland, Butte Falls and Central Point police departments and from Jackson County Parole and Probation during the sweep, held Saturday and Sunday.

"We covered basically the county from Central Point south," Talent Police Chief Mike Moran said.

Of the cities swept, Central Point had the highest percentage of compliant offenders: Four out of 120, or 3 percent, did not have up-to-date information on their address registered with police, data collected from the sweep shows. Medford wasn't far behind with 15 of 256 offenders, or 6 percent, out of compliance.

Phoenix had the lowest rate of compliance, with nine of 36 offenders, or 25 percent, out of compliance. In Ashland, nine of 42 offenders, or 21 percent, were not in compliance.

Additional interagency sweeps are being planned.

"This is being proactive," said Medford police Sgt. Brent Mak. "Nine times out of 10, we find out about it later."

Reach Mail Tribune reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or by email at rpfeil@mailtribune.com.