Missouri Highway Patrol creates new tracking system of sex offenders

Intro:	Missouri Highway Patrol creates a tracking system that keeps a closer look on sex offenders. Becky May has more from Jefferson City.
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Wrap: Email alerts are being sent out to neighbors who registered to monitor sex offenders in the area.

Missouri Highway Patrol official, Lt. John Hotz says this system tracks sex offenders who are changing his or her work or school address and notifies neighbors within 24 hours.

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Description: "If they make any changes and you sign up to track that specific sexual offender then you will receive an email alert."

Hotz says this is one of the two tracking options for neighbors. The other is to set up a radius ranging from 500 feet to five miles that can list the registered offenders in the area.

Reporting from the state Capitol I'm Becky May.

Intro:	Missourians can now get email notifications to see if a sex offender moves into their neighborhood. Becky May has more from Jefferson City.
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Wrap:Missouri Highway Patrol Captain Tim Hull says the patrol put in place a tracking system on their website that allows users to receive emails when registered offenders change addresses.

Hull says this new system was enacted because of former sexual offender statutes created in 2006.

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Description: "In order to be in compliance with Megan's Law and the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. This is part of that specific piece of state and federal legislation."

Lt. John Hotz of the Missouri Highway Patrol says this type of alert enhances sexual offender awareness and doesn't infringe on sex offenders rights.

Reporting from the state Capitol I'm Becky May.

Intro:	Email alerts regarding the location of sex offenders may help Missouri parents when taking their kids out for Halloween this year. Becky May has more from Jefferson City.
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Wrap: Halloween is approaching which means children will be going door to door of strangers and asking for candy, what used to be a harmless holiday could be a sex offenders dream.

A Missouri Highway Patrol official says the creation of a new sex offender notification system could alert neighbors more efficiently.

Captain Tim Hull says this system will send people who register for the service an email when a sex offender changes his or her address.

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Description: "As of this morning about nine o'clock there was 1007, that had registered so I'm sure the closer we get toward the end of the week and Halloween the number is going to grow quite rapidly as the word gets out to the media."

Another official from the Missouri Highway Patrol Lt. John Hotz says there are two types of alerts that neighbors can use. One that tracks offenders in a given radius and the other that tracks specific individuals.

Reporting from the state Capitol I'm Becky May.