Montgomery County, Texas has approximately 750 registered sex offenders and that number changes monthly. On any given day deputies knock on the doors of sex offenders to make sure they are in compliance with Texas sex offender registry laws. The Sheriff’s Office has begun using bright red door hangers requesting calls from homes where no one answers the door during routine premise checks.
The door hangers donated by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Citizen’s Academy Alumni Association are now in use throughout the county. Sheriff Tommy Gage said, “Deputies with the Sheriff’s Office, deputy constables, and local city police officers attempt to contact convicted sex offenders and now are using bright red door hangers to help ensure compliance with registry laws.”
Door hangers not only serve as an alert for parents, but also demand that the sex offender report and verify their whereabouts as soon as possible. By law, sex offenders must notify the Sex Offender Compliance Unit of the Sheriff’s Office of all changes in addresses that they live at within seven days before moving. Violation of sex offender registration is a third degree felony.
“Our message to the sex offender is very clear: comply with the laws or you’re going to end up in jail,” said Montgomery County Sheriff Tommy Gage.
Pursuant to Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 62.005, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) established a website as the official internet public access to the Texas sex offender registration computerized central database. This website was created especially for public awareness and access. Everyone is encouraged to check the website for information on sex offenders who may live in their area. https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/DPS_WEB/SorNew/index.aspx
