Officials reported that parole officers began contacting sex offenders well in advance of the storm. About 1,000 sex offender parolees displaced by Hurricane Ike have been rounded up and sent to prisons and jails across the state. Some registered sex offenders, including those who completed the terms of their parole, have been turned away from shelters. An Austin police detective responded, saying: ‘It's a difficult situation but ultimately we're concerned about the (general public).’