Liberty County Sheriff Steve Sikes launched the department’s new website Monday, saying it was time to catch up on current technology and offer a more user-friendly reference for folks in the community. The department contracted with a website designer, and LCSO Chief Deputy Keith Moran used his technology skills to develop the site’s content.

“It was very antiquated,” Moran said of the old website. “I did the content with the help from a lot of people, and we contracted with a website designer and they were pretty quick. They did a good job in a short period of time. What the sheriff wanted was a user-friendly, public-oriented and informative site and contains things we didn’t have on the old website.”

Sikes said he realized shortly after he took office that the department needed to upgrade its website. He wanted a site the community easily could navigate through, and he wanted to offer a wealth of information to the citizens of Liberty County.

“This keeps them informed as to what is going on in our county, and it helps to answer many questions people have,” Sikes said. “It didn’t cost the taxpayers a penny because it was completely funded by seized drug money.”

The website design and construction cost $10,000. Moran said they’ve been working on the project for about three months.

Moran said they researched and identified the top five sheriff’s office websites in the state and picked the best pieces from each site as they prepared their design. Sikes and Moran worked with administrators within the department to compile lists of requests and questions they have received from the public in the past year. They built in drop-down menus on the site to accommodate those needs and requests.

The new site has interactive functions where the public can access up-to-date information, including who is being housed at Liberty Jail, an interactive map of registered sex offenders in the county, the sex offenders list and information about visiting an inmate in jail. The website also features a list of frequently asked questions, Liberty County’s most wanted list, programs offered by the LCSO, department news and a complete contact list of everyone in the department — including phone numbers and where they are located.

“Some of the functions are automated and are updated every hour,” Sikes said. “Other functions are updated on a daily basis by administrators.”

“The public can interact, get involved if they want to,” Moran said. Another feature of the website allows the public to submit anonymous tips, he added.

Sikes said they already have captured someone who was posted on their most wanted list.

“We decided to post our most wanted list, and it has already paid off,” he said. “Folks can look at the list, and if they spot this person or know where they are, they can call 911 immediately. We don’t want the public detaining these people, just calling 911. It’s a benefit to our department.”

The site allows the public to pay citations online and contains information on the Neighborhood Watch Programs, Project Lifesaver, Megan’s Law and employment opportunities within the department.

Visit the department’s new website at www.libertyso.com.