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Web site locates sex offenders
January 12, 2001
HELENA – A new Web site allows Montanans
to find out where designated sexual and violent
offenders live in their communities.
The address is svor.doj.state.mt.us.
The site, unveiled Jan. 10, is connected to the
state’s Sexual and Violent Offender Registry
database and provides up-to-date information
on the whereabouts of registered offenders.
“This registry is an excellent way for the public
and law enforcement officers to know the
whereabouts of sexual and violent offenders,
so Montanans may be informed whether
potentially dangerous people live in their
neighborhoods,” Attorney General Mike
McGrath said. “With this new web site, law
enforcement now has one more tool to help
people take the appropriate steps to protect
themselves and their children.”
People can search for offenders by name or do
a more general search that allows them to see
where registered offenders in their city or
county live. The site provides additional
information about each registrant’s crimes, as
well as photos for non-compliant offenders and
those offenders who have been designated at
higher risk of committing repeat offenses.
The amount of information available about an
offender depends in part on the risk level
assigned to him or her. Information on the site
is updated once a day.
The Montana Legislature created the sex
offender registry in 1989, and added violent
offenders to the registry in 1995. In 1997,
lawmakers gave the Department of Justice
responsibility for the registration program.
The Department has developed the Web site
over the past several months, to make the
information more widely available. The project
was funded by a grant from the Montana Board
of Crime Control.
Attorney General Mike McGrath cautions,
however, that the information from the registry
and the Web site should not be used to
threaten, intimidate or harass registered
offenders.
“New technology is giving law enforcement
new opportunities to disseminate information
and to make that information available to local
communities,” Division of Criminal
Investigation administrator Mike Batista said.
“We believe the new Web site will provide the
public with easy, convenient access to sex
offender information.”
Source: The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises, Associated Press
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