NY- Few real solutions for sex offenders

'False alarm' doesn't change society's ongoing conundrum

6-9-2008 New York:

Last week, a 9-year-old girl said she saved her 8-year-old sister from a possible abduction by kicking a man who had grabbed her in a parking lot on the west side of Binghamton in broad daylight.

The story wasn't true. The child later told police she had made it up -- although the level of detail about the appearance of the suspect and his vehicle suggests she might have had some help.

Before that confession, however, the community's initial reaction was a clear reflection of our times. The story rang true because we know there are predators among us and we've seen what terrible things they're capable of. Moreover, the community was already on alert due to reports of a man exposing himself to youngsters at Johnson City's North Side Park.

And beyond that, a lot of people in the community are convinced that Binghamton especially is home to more than its fair share of paroled sex offenders, although state officials insist that isn't so.

Ours isn't the only community struggling with the problem, however, and while it's a given that everyone involved in the effort to protect children from paroled sex offenders has good intentions, good results are what matter most -- and that's where opinions diverge.

It's easy to say we don't want any of them "here," and propose putting them "somewhere else." The problem with this approach is that every community wants to be rid of them and eventually you run out of "somewhere else."

It's easy to say all sex offenders should be locked away for life, or executed, but that would greatly complicate the prosecution of them and could in fact place victims in graver danger. The perpetrator might be less inclined to leave a potential witness.

The recidivism rate among pedophiles is very high, but not all sex offenders are pedophiles and there are some who benefit from treatment and pose no residual threat.

It's easy to demonize agencies which try to help paroled sex offenders, but without such assistance, what would the rate of recidivism be?

And while we focus so intently on paroled offenders, what are we doing to prevent new crimes?

Megan's Law is beneficial in that it alerts the community to the presence of registered sex offenders who previously went anonymous, but it doesn't offer much guidance about what to do with that information. Increased vigilance, surely -- and the police and parole officers pursue that assignment rigorously -- but not vigilantism.

The protection of children is a paramount concern, and the presence of sex offenders in any number in any community is always going to be troubling. Society is still trying to decide how best to deal with such criminals, including the possibility of confinement in mental hospitals once their criminal sentence is completed; and long-term use of monitoring devices to keep track of their movements.

Last week's incident further jangled community nerves, and some residents suggested harsh punishment for the child who concocted the story. That's a matter best left to her parents, but it would be appropriate to make sure she's familiar with the tale of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." ..News Source.. by PressConnects.com