SHERMAN, Tex. -- New training out of Austin is helping area police keep sex offenders information in the system and families safe.

Area police showed up at the Sherman Police Department Tuesday to attend a four-hour class, learning to make sure sex offenders are registered.

More than twenty agencies attended as part of an effort to keep track of the over 500 sex offenders in Grayson County.

Sgt. Brice Smith of the Sherman Police Department says, "I think this info will be available to the public much quicker because these small PD's who do not have the info can go online and update the info."

Smith is one of the detectives making sure the 108 sex offenders in the Sherman city limits are in the system. He says this training will help law enforcement learn the best methods to track and document offenders.

"We'd get it, but this way we get it quicker."

Smith says the more updated and accurate the information the safer the community will be.

"Say for instance the children report to the principal a guy watching from a car, we can get the tag, run it through the database, and find if it is a sex offender."

Smith says once offenders are released from prison, they have seven days to register with the police department. If they don't, a warrant will be issued for their arrest.

"These people, when released from prison, are now given a risk level of low, medium, or high based on the number of the offenses."

Police say convicted sex offenders are required to register with local law enforcement for life. This class is just one way to help law enforcement agencies with that life long task.