Journal Albany Bureau • March 15, 2010
ALBANY — New Yorkers who want to keep track of certain sex offenders can now register with the state’s NY-ALERT system to receive e-mail, text message, fax or telephone notifications that moderate- and high-risk sex offenders move within the state.
The sex-offender information is a new addition to the state Emergency Management Office’s NY-ALERT system, which was established in September 2007 and provides emergency information like road closures, weather events, public-health advisories and Amber alerts for missing children. The law requiring that the sex-offender feature be added took effect today.
The state Division of Criminal Justice Services, which maintains the state’s Sex Offender Registry, is partnering with the Emergency Management Office to provide the notices when a moderate- or high-risk sex offender moves into or out of a community of interest for the participant and the participant’s family. Registrants can receive alerts by e-mail, text message, fax or telephone.
NY-ALERT can only provide information about Level 3 (high-risk) and Level 2 (moderate-risk) sex offenders. By law, the state can only provide details about Level 1 (low-risk) offenders through a toll- free number, 1-800-262-3257.
The Sex Offender Registry current has 30,165 offenders: 11,293 are Level 1, 10,734 are Level 2, 7,251 are Level 3, and 608 offenders’ risk level is pending. Last year, registry staff processed nearly 31,000 address changes. An average of 170 new offenders are added to the registry monthly.Citizens must register for the service through the Department of Criminal Justice Services at http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/nsor/nyalert.htm. Individuals can register up to three areas, either by county/municipality, ZIP code or specific address, or a combination of those three options. The participant can register a specific address and receive the sex-offender alerts for a radius around
the address, ranging from a quarter of a mile to 25 miles.
The state updates offender address details within 24 hours of receipt during weekday business hours.
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