By Marshall Griffin, St. Louis Public Radio
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri residents can now receive email alerts if a registered sex offender moves into their neighborhood.
The email alert system is operated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, which manages the state's sex offender registry. Captain Tim Hull says subscribers will receive an email within 24 hours of an offender changing addresses.
"It allows the user to enter up to five physical addresses to track," Hull said. "The user can actually select a radius around their residence from anywhere from 500 feet to five miles."
Subscribers can also track specific sex offenders.
"Anytime (an offender's) address of their residence or work or their school changes, the notification by email will be sent to that (subscriber), reflecting that information...that (option) can have up to five separate sex offenders tracked," Hull said.
The service is free of charge. Anyone wanting to receive the alerts can sign up at the Missouri Highway Patrol's website.