Parents in New York, you can all rest a little easier on Halloween night knowing that sex offender locations will now be available via Facebook.
According to a report by WPTZ, The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) has just launched its Sex Offender Locator Application today, accessible via the New York State Public Safety Facebook page. The application makes the New York State sex offender registry publicly available through the platform, highlighting Level 2 and Level 3 — medium and high-risk — offenders for users without having to leave the Facebook service.
DCJS Acting Commissioner Sean M. Byrne, states:
“With Halloween around the corner, parents now have another tool to learn where offenders live so they can ensure their children stay away from those locations, as well as strangers’ homes. The Facebook app puts that important information at parents’ fingertips, whether they are at home or on the go.”
Level 1 offender information won’t be accessible via the application as a current law in the state of New York prevents this. The only way to get ahold of this data is to call a toll-free number (1-800-262-3257) equipped with the individual’s first and last name, as well as some other identifying piece of information such as a date of birth, driver’s license information etc.
Although there are currently 32,994 registered sex offenders on the state’s Sex Offender Registry, only the 11,685 Level 2 offenders and 8,163 Level 3 offenders will be viewable on Facebook.
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To access the Offender Locator, simply visit the New York Public Safety page and Like it on Facebook, then head to the app here.
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