Swift County Predatory Offenders

Swift County sex offenders are registered through the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and managed locally by the Swift County Sheriff's Office in Benson. Swift County is a rural west central Minnesota county where the Sheriff serves as the main agency for predatory offender registration and community notification. Residents can search for sex offenders registered in Swift County using free state databases, or contact the Sheriff's Office directly for more specific information about the local registry.

Swift County Sheriff's Office

The Swift County Sheriff's Office page is the primary local resource for predatory offender registration information: Swift County Sheriff's Office.

The Swift County Sheriff coordinates predatory offender registration across all cities and townships in the county and reports to the Minnesota BCA.

The Swift County Sheriff's Office handles predatory offender registration for the entire county. Under Minnesota Statute 243.166, all sex offenders living, working, or attending school in Swift County must register with local law enforcement and report address changes within five days of any move. Not registering is a felony in Minnesota. The Sheriff submits registration data to the BCA to keep the statewide registry accurate. Call (320) 843-3133 or go to swiftcounty.com/sheriff for more information.

Swift County is largely agricultural, with Benson as the main population center. The Sheriff's Office serves as the law enforcement presence for most of the county, covering unincorporated townships as well as smaller cities that may not have their own police departments. If you live in one of the smaller communities within the county, the Sheriff's Office is likely the right contact for questions about sex offenders in your area.

Search Swift County Sex Offenders Online

The Minnesota Department of Corrections maintains the public search tool for Level 3 sex offenders at coms.doc.state.mn.us/publicregistrantsearch. Search by name, city, or zip code. For Swift County, enter Benson or surrounding zip codes to find offenders registered in the area. The database is updated within 48 hours of law enforcement authorization. Call (651) 361-7340 for help using the search tool.

The BCA Predatory Offender Registry at por.state.mn.us is the full statewide registry. Public access shows only Level 3 records. Reach the BCA at (651) 793-7070. Level 1 and Level 2 offenders are registered and monitored but do not appear in public searches. The actual count of registered sex offenders in Swift County may be higher than what the public database shows.

Community Notification in Swift County

When a Level 3 sex offender moves into Swift County, the Sheriff's Office initiates a community notification under Minnesota Statute 244.052. In a rural county, this often means direct outreach to neighbors, school principals, township officials, and community organizations near the offender's address. The DOC community notification page at mn.gov explains how the notification process works statewide.

Level 2 offenders receive limited notification that goes to specific organizations rather than the general public. Level 1 offenders receive no public notification. If you have safety concerns about a person in Swift County who does not appear in the public database, contact the Sheriff's Office at (320) 843-3133. They can tell you what information is legally available.

Note: Registering for VINE alerts at vinelink.com or by calling 1-877-664-8463 will notify you when someone in the Swift County jail is released or transferred.

Other Resources for Swift County

The National Sex Offender Public Website at nsopw.gov connects registries from all 50 states into one federal search tool maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice. If an offender has moved out of Swift County or left Minnesota, this site lets you search for their current registration in another state.

Court records for sex offense cases in Swift County can be found through the Minnesota Court Records Online system at mncourts.gov. Search by name or case number to review charge and sentencing information for cases heard in Swift County District Court.

Cities in Swift County

Swift County includes small communities spread across a largely rural landscape. All sex offenders in the county register through the Sheriff's Office and the state BCA system.

Communities in Swift County include Benson, Kerkhoven, Appleton, Clarkfield, and several rural townships. All predatory offenders in these areas register through the Swift County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota predatory offender registry.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Swift County. If a sex offender may have moved, search the registries for neighboring counties.