Maryland Governor Awards Grant to Baltimore County Police Department

Baltimore County Police Department was awarded a $110,000 grant to enhance supervision, registration and monitoring of sex offenders. The grant from the Governor's Office of Crime, Control and Prevention (GOCCP), is part of more than $800,000 in funds awarded to local enforcement agencies throughout Maryland to purchase computer equipment that will enhance the electronic registration of sex offenders and pay overtime for officers whose duties include confirming that offenders are in compliance with Sex Offender Registry requirements. The awards are part of Governor Ehrlich's Sex Offender Compliance and Enforcement in Maryland initiative.

"These funds are part of our ongoing partnerships with local law enforcement to keep children and families safe from sexual predators," said Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. "These funds will enhance our efforts to make sure all sex offenders are registered and will help keep Baltimore County a safe place in which to live."

More than 1,000 Marylanders have registered with the state's Alert Line. The Alert Line is designed to contact individual homes, schools, daycare centers, recreational centers and churches registered by ZIP code when a sex offender moves into the neighborhood or if there is a change in the offender's compliance status. When the notification call is made, registered users will be directed to the Maryland Sex Offender Registry Web site for a complete profile of the offender. Maryland is the fourth state in the country to implement this new technology to track sex offenders and notify residents of their movements.