New Yorkers can sign up for a new service that will alert them when a moderate or high-risk sex offender moves into a community of interest. New Yorkers can now register to receive alerts – via e-mail, text message, fax or telephone – whenever a moderate or high-risk sex offender listed on the public subdirectory of the New York State Sex Offender Registry moves to, or from, a community of interest to them and their family.

After registering at http://www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us/nsor/nyalert.htm citizens will receive sex offender relocation notices whenever a Level 2 (moderate risk) or Level 3 (high risk) sex offender listed on the public subdirectory moves into or out of a community of interest. By law, the state can only provide information about Level 1 (low-risk) offenders or those with a pending risk level through a toll-free number (1-800-262-3257).

Individuals can register up to three areas, either by county/municipality, zip code or specific address, or any combination of those three options, for which they would like to receive sex offender relocation alerts on medium and high-risk offenders. If a specific address is selected, a radius around that address, ranging from a quarter-mile to 25 miles, also must be selected.