York, PA - Updates to the state's Megan's Law website will help improve public safety through detailed searches and crime prevention tips, state police said Wednesday in a news release.
State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan said the new features will help people know if a sex offender lives in their neighborhood. A new search feature allows a user to enter an address and search from a half-mile up to a five-mile radius. Searches also can be done by using a drop-down list of municipalities and counties. The site will list names, addresses and updated photos of offenders within the area, Noonan said.
A Soundex feature also allows users to type in a name and will list people with the same name and similar-sounding names, the news release states. Even if a name is misspelled, Noonan said, the website is more likely to make a match.
Geocoding and Google mapping had helped keep better track of offender addresses, police said. As part of the upgrade, offender photos are dated to show the most recent ones.
People can still make anonymous tips through the website, and police hope to add e-mail and text messaging notifications about offenders through the AlertPa system. The General Assembly would have to approve electronic updates before state police can start using it, Noonan said.
rlefever@ydr.com; 771-2088
About Pennsylvania's Megan's Law
Pennsylvania's Megan's Law requires the state police to create and maintain a registry of people who live, work or attend school in the state and have either been convicted of, entered a guilty plea or adjudicated delinquent of sexual offenses in Pennsylvania or other areas.
For more information, visit www.pameganslaw.state.pa.us or call 783-5556.
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