Posted on 07/21/2005 4:32:30 AM PDT by Crackingham
Fairhope is in the early stages of drafting an ordinance that aims to keep convicted sex offenders from moving into the city, officials said Wednesday. Police Chief Chris Browning said he and Mayor Tim Kant have been discussing a possible ban for a few weeks.
The city's action could take the form of a ban on sex offenders within city limits or something less severe, such as creating larger and stricter buffer zones around areas where children live and play, Browning said. An outright ban would be the only one of its kind in the state, according to information available Wednesday. Alabama law forbids convicted sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools or daycare centers. State law also requires that the offenders register their places of residence with authorities.
"As we talk right now, there are predators in this country stalking and planning to do harm to our children," Browning said. "As the mayor and po lice chief of Fairhope, we want to do everything in our power to ensure that doesn't happen here."
Browning said that so far only he and Kant are involved in the discussions, and while they are only in the early stages of drafting such a plan, he expects to move quickly.
"I want an absolute ban on them residing in Fairhope proper," he said. "At the very minimum, the city can, should and will put tighter buffer zones around parks, schools, and other areas where children congregate."
Browning said registered sex offenders living in Fairhope before such an ordinance is approved would be allowed to remain in the city, which has about 14,600 people.
According to the Alabama Department of Corrections Web site, nine convicted sex offenders are currently registered within the Fairhope ZIP code area. The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office Sex Offender Registry lists eight.
One impetus for Browning and Kant's discussions was a law passed by the city of Miami Beach, Fla., in early June. The law outlawed sex offenders from moving to within 2,500 feet of any school, school bus stop, park, playground or daycare center. Because Miami Beach is so small, the law effectively prevents sex offenders from moving anywhere in the city, according to reports. The law does allow for some exceptions, including one that allows sex offenders already living in the city to stay there.
Browning said that if more cities follow Miami Beach's lead, sex offenders will have to look someplace else to live. Browning said he doesn't want Fairhope to be one of those places.
"The criminal element goes to the area of least resistance, and we don't want that area to be Fairhope, Alabama," he said.
Instead of imprisonment, banishment - banished criminals would be shot for trespassing on criminal-free territory, and therefore they would be forced to live in the worst communities where they would prey on one another and leave decent folk alone.
Most should never leave the government home they earned.
Beyond that, 'they are citizens'. . .and the Demrats want them to vote as well. . .for the 'soft on crime' party, of course.
I believe there was a movie along these lines - Escape from New York.
Until now, I found it hard to justify any bans... Makes me want to stand up and cheer for a change!
Death is a better solution, for the truly worst of the worst. For example, the proverbial 18 year old who commits statutory rape on the 17 year old: that is not nearly the same. But on the other hand, some 30 year old who gives a 14 year old girl knockout drops to rape her, or a 25 year old sodomite who molests a 15 year old boy, those should simply result in death.
I think it's ironic that MAD has the power to get DUI drivers to have special, red license plates, which is the same as being branded, really. And yet perverts who prey on little kids have been allowed to 'blend in' all these years.
The perverts cost .Gov money while the DUI is "driven" by a profit motive. Follow the money...
I certainly can't complain about that.
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