Alabama gets more dough to track offenders

$300,000 GRANT WILL HELP TRACK SEX OFFENDERS

Marc Summers
04-21-2008

Governor Bob Riley recently announced that Alabama has been awarded a $300,000 federal grant to enhance the states ability to track sex offenders.

The grant application was coordinated through the Governors Community Notification Task Force, which Governor Riley established by executive order last August.

Sex offenders are considered the most dangerous criminals because of the great likelihood that they will repeat their crimes. Thats why it is so vitally important for law enforcement and the public to know where these dangerous predators live, said Governor Riley.

This federal grant will augment law enforcements ability to monitor, track and take enforcement actions against convicted sex offenders in Alabama.

The funds will be used by the state to improve electronic information sharing, concerning sex offenders and provide local law enforcement agencies with assistance for conducting in-person address verification checks.

This will occur through the coordinated efforts of the Alabama Department of Public Safety, the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center, the Alabama Department of Corrections and the Alabama Office of Prosecution Services.

The Department of Public Safety, which maintains the states sex offender registry, will serve as the lead agency and administer the grant.

The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice.