The San Francisco Sheriff’s Department announced today that it is participating in a program that allows crime victims to be notified of whether an offender has been released or transferred to another jurisdiction.
The department is joining a majority of their fellow sheriff’s departments statewide in the California State Victim Information and Notification Everyday program.
The program is a free and anonymous service that allows victims to receive telephone and email notifications about offenders.
The notifications would be sent within 30 minutes if an offender is released and within eight hours if one is transferred from San Francisco to another jurisdiction, according to the sheriff’s department.
Sheriff’s spokeswoman Susan Fahey said the department had the program in the late 1990s and early 2000s but it was only available by phone and later lost funding.
But the department began offering the program again within the past few days, according to Fahey, who called it “a really, really valuable service that we’re happy to offer.”
Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi said in a statement that he hoped the program will provide “a greater sense of safety and security during times of uncertainty and concern.”
Victims can register for the service by visiting www.sfsheriff.com or www.vinelink.com or by calling (877) 411-5588 or (866) 847-1298.
The program is funded by a California Emergency Management Agency grant and is administered in the state by the California State Sheriffs’ Association.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
