Megan's Law/Amber Alert

The geographic advantage ensures better overall dialog between public safety personnel and the community.

Megan’s Law and Amber Alerts are central to this dialog. Passed in 1996, Megan’s Law authorizes state and local law enforcement to notify residents of the presence of sex offenders in their neighborhood. Citizens can examine where registered offenders live and often the nature of their crimes. Also instituted in 1996 and available in all 50 states, Amber Alerts are broadcast by radio, television, highway signs, and wireless devices when law enforcement determines a child has been abducted or is missing.

GIS supports Megan’s Law and Amber Alert applications by

• Providing a platform for coordinating efforts between communities and public safety personnel
• Aiding communities and public safety personnel in identifying and knowing where sexual predators live and work
• Leveraging information about where sex-related crimes and potential abductions have occurred

For Megan’s Law, GIS tools can help establish a perimeter or focus a search. These tools can also map out the locations of registered sex offenders and their relationship to a possible crime scene. Mobile GIS technology can be used for live tracking of sex offenders—monitoring if they are too close to where they shouldn’t be or if they have frequented areas where they are not permitted.

Public safety personnel can also use GIS to determine the appropriate size and scope of an Amber Alert. Whenever a child goes missing, time is of the essence. GIS provides a technology-based method to begin a focused search and to expand the search when needed.