WebProNews

Service from ScanUSA allows for users to be alerted when a registered sex offender moves into their neighborhoods.

The new predator alert feature of SCAN is available in California, Florida and Texas today and will be phased in nationally over the next eight weeks.

SCAN is a national alert service that allows local agencies to send emergency alerts to the PCs, mobile phones and PDAs of neighborhood residents who may be at risk.

The service will be supported by corporate sponsorships, and SBC Communications has partnered with SCAN to distribute the messages.

The program provides over fourteen different types of alerts including weather, traffic, health, environmental and Amber Alerts. Users register by zip code and choose which alerts they want to receive and where they should be sent -- PCs, mobile devices, or fax.

"Police officers and deputy sheriffs agree -- you deserve to know when a sexual predator moves into your neighborhood. We hope everyone registers for SCAN (http://www.scanusa.com/ ) to begin receiving these alerts," says Monty Holden, Executive Director of California Organization of Police and Sheriffs (COPS).

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.