Town of New Hartford NEW YORK

SEX OFFENDER LOCATOR NOW AVAILABLE via FACEBOOK

Facebook users can now access information about medium and high-risk sex offenders living in their neighborhoods, next to their workplace or near their child’s school with just a few clicks and without leaving the popular social networking site.

The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) in October launched its Sex Offender Locator Application, which is accessible via the New York Sate Public Safety Facebook page.  Facebook users can share the applications to their own pages and encourage their “friends” to do the same.

DCJS maintains the state’s sex offender registry and a registry subdirectory on the agency’s website that provides information about Level 2 (medium risk) and Level 3 (high risk) sex offenders to the public.  The new Facebook application is designed to make that information more readily accessible.

Residents now have another way to access up-to-date information about sex offenders and parents now have another tool to learn where offenders live so they can ensure their children stay away from those locations.

New Yorkers can learn about registered sex offenders in a variety of ways, with an offender’s risk level determining what information is available and how it can be accessed.  By law, the state can only provide information to the public about Level 1 (low risk) offenders or those with a pending risk level through a toll-free number (1-800-262-3257); callers must have an individual’s name and at least one other identifier (an exact address, date of birth, driver’s license number or Social Security number) to learn if that person is a registered sex offender in New York.

Home address information about a Level 1 offender is limited to zip code.  Complete home and work addresses – street number and name, as well as municipality and zip code – are available for Level 2 and Level 3 offenders. 

In addition to providing information about Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders via Facebook and the DCJS website, the state allows New Yorkers to sign up to receive alerts via email, text, fax or telephone whenever those sex offenders move to, or from, a community of interest – their home, work or child’s school, for example.  DCJS offers the sex offender relocation notices through the state’s NY-ALERT system; visit www.nyalert.gov and click on the “Sign up for NY-Alerts” link in the left menu to learn more and register.