CLEVELAND -- Ohio sheriffs have teamed up with Attorney General Jim Petro to get the word out faster about sex offenders, NewsChannel5 reported.

Officials launched a new plan that automatically sends e-mails to residents when a registered sex offender moves into their neighborhood.

Residents can sign up through the attorney general's Web site or through a county sheriff's site.

Sheriff's departments had been required to send out notification cards to anyone living within a 1,000-foot radius of a registered offender.

Petro created an electronic database of registered Ohio sex offenders in December. The site has a mapping feature for four northeast Ohio counties.

Search for sexual offenders in your community. You can also sign up for the e-mail alert.