Posted on 04/28/2008 7:34:39 PM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
Seneca County NY is taking a stand against sex offenders. It’s among the first counties in New York State to tell moderate and high risk sex offenders where they can and can’t live. New residency restrictions on sex offenders just took effect in Seneca County. Thursday, some sex offenders started looking for a new place to live, because the new law regulates exactly where they can live and keeps them away from kids.
Most Waterloo residents are happy about the new residency requirements in their county. County Attorney, Steven Getman, researched the law. He said the main mission in the county was to protect the kids that live there and the Sheriff’s Office is willing to enforce the new laws. “The law does have some teeth in it and we intend to utilize them,” said Sheriff Leo Connolly. Starting November 1st level two and three sex offenders are not allowed to live within 500 feet of any place where children get together. That includes schools, day care centers, playgrounds and parks. “I think it’s a great thing for the community. Probably one of the most precious things that we have are our children,” said Connolly.The level two and three sex offenders in Seneca County have the month of November to comply with the new law, if they don’t they face some serious consequences. “If we find they are not in compliance they’re subject to arrest with a penalty, a fine up to $2,500 a day and 15 days in jail for each day the violation continues,” explained Connolly.The new law is also a deterrent to sex offenders moving into the county and, that has some other area leaders worried. “I am somewhat concerned that Monroe County and other neighboring counties will now start to be a place of refuge in a sense for Seneca County’s population of so,” said Assemblyman Joe Morelle.Morelle believes the law should be passed at the state level. Getman says the state assembly has been blocking the effort, but he says he’ll continue to push for support.“The bottom line here is that someone has to protect the kids and we’ll do what we need to, to protect them,” said Getman. That message sits well with residents like Cheryl O’Donnell. “I hope it changes things. I mean, you can’t even let your kids go out on a newspaper route or anything anymore, cause you’re afraid,” said O’Donnell.There are some exceptions to the new rules. The law doesn’t apply to sex offenders who own a home. For those with a lease, they can stay there until the lease is up.
Does Seneca County have a similar requirement for murderers, rapists, armed robbers and other such dangerous criminals who are also out of prison?
This is stupid. If they’re a “moderate to high risk” of re-offending they shouldn’t be out, and if they are truly low or no-risk then parole supervision is more than adequate.
These laws are failures everywhere they’ve been tried. Sex offender compliance rates go down, law enforcement becomes overburdened, and most cops and prosecutors will eventually call for the laws to be overturned. But politicians are too chicken to look “soft on crime” to repeal these stupid laws.
The solution is so simple. We have all these public housing projects. Millions of tax dollars building apartments. Just set aside a few of them for sex offenders to live in. Don’t allow any children to live there. Maybe put a high fence around it too. Have their meals made on site so they’re safely off the streets. Oh, wait, I guess that would be sort of like prison or something.
These people will always be treated like pariahs wherever they go. It is nearly impossible for them to hold down a job or lead a normal life even if they did their best to not re-offend. Keeping them in prison is not just better for us, it is better for them.
What if the offender is the owner of a house and they can’t sell it for what they owe on it? Is the county willing to make the mortgage company whole?
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