Pike County residents now can see where sexual offenders live, view a list of the jail’s current inmates and download pistol permit applications on one website.

The Pike County Sheriff’s Office launched its new website this week.

“We’ve been working on it since last year,” said Sheriff Russell Thomas.

The process took a while to set up because there were compatibility issues with some of the sheriff’s office software. Thomas said a lot of the information had to be manually entered.

With a $5,000 price tag, the site aims to be a comprehensive resource for Pike County. It includes forms that can be printed, filled out and returned to the office. There are job applications, neighborhood watch forms, child identification kits and a form to log valuables that will ensure they can be identified and recovered if stolen.

Administrative Assistant Ryan Ellis said the pistol permit application was one of his favorite features. The forms cannot be completed or returned online, but they can be printed and filled out before they are returned to the sheriff’s office.

“It can speed up the process,” he said.

The site also has tip lines, email addresses, staff lists and programs the department sponsors. A map identifies the residences of registered sex offenders. Pins on the map link to the offender’s photograph, charges, race, gender, age, weight and height.

The jail roster is updated instantly. As inmates arrive their data is logged into the system.

“It’ll provide arrest information, charges, bond amounts, the time they were booked and a photo,” said Ellis.

A hot cases page will list open cases and the details of the crimes. “If we have cases come up and want to get the public involved, we’ll put it up there,” Ellis said. “You can even sign up and get notifications on your cell phone.”

To access the website, go to www.pikecountyalsheriff.com.