Friday, November 3, 2006
Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290
Blunt Pleased with Response to Enhanced Sex Offender Registry
JEFFERSON CITY–Gov. Matt Blunt is pleased with the overwhelming response to Missouri’s enhanced Sex Offender Registry. Since the governor unveiled changes to the registry, hits on the Internet based site have more than doubled.
“I am pleased parents are finding the new features useful to help protect their families from sexual predators,” Blunt said. “Missouri’s enhanced Sex Offender Registry is another bold step the state and law enforcement officials have taken to make our children’s safety a top priority.”
Blunt and Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) officials unveiled the state’s new Sex Offender Registry and toll free number on October 23, 2006. According to MSHP figures the hits on the registry Internet site have grown from 9,400 per day to over 21,000 per day since announcing the improvements.
The registry was updated and enhanced to include additional information regarding the listed offenders: name(s) including aliases, date(s) of birth, more physical descriptive information including tattoos, home, work, and school addresses, vehicle information of those that are either owned or operated by the offender, complete offense information including conviction/plea and victim age, confinement information, and whether they are in compliance with the registration requirements. Updated photographs will be added as current photographs are now required to be submitted more frequently by the changes in the law. The registry also includes a mapping function that will map the listed offender addresses. Changes are a result of House Bill 1698.
Missourians can visit the state’s Sex Offender Registry Internet site at www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/PatrolDivisions/CRID/SOR/SORPage.html or call the new toll free number 1-888-SOR-MSHP (1-888-767-6747) to obtain information. Employees of MSHP answer the number Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
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