ALBANY - New Yorkers can now register to receive alerts – via e-mail, text message, fax or telephone – whenever a moderate or high-risk sex offender listed on the public subdirectory of the New York State Sex Offender Registry moves to, or from, a community of interest to them and their family.

The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which maintains the Sex Offender Registry, is partnering with the New York State Emergency Management Office (SEMO) to provide sex offender relocation notices through SEMO’s NY-ALERT system.  This new initiative results from legislation sponsored by state Sen. Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester) and Assembly Member Rory Lancman (D-Queens) and signed by Gov. David A. Paterson last fall.

After registering (visit the DCJS website to learn more), citizens will receive sex offender relocation notices whenever a Level 2 (moderate risk) or Level 3 (high risk) sex offender listed on the public subdirectory moves into or out of a community of interest. By law, the state can only provide information about Level 1 (low-risk) offenders or those with a pending risk level through a toll-free number (1-800-262-3257).

Individuals can register up to three areas, either by county/municipality, zip code or specific address, or any combination of those three options, for which they would like to receive sex offender relocation alerts on medium and high-risk offenders.  If a specific address is selected, a radius around that address, ranging from a quarter-mile to 25 miles, also must be selected.