NC- Council puts sex offender ban on hold

11-18-2008 North Carolina:

HIGH POINT — High Point’s parks will stay open to sex offenders. For now.

City Council members said they were uncomfortable with a ban proposed Monday night by the city’s parks and recreation department.

The proposed ordinance was sent back to the council’s public safety committee when council members said they needed more information.

“At this point I have a lot of unanswered questions about this,” said Councilman Latimer Alexander. “I’d like to look at the state laws that already cover our parks and rec facilities.”

Greensboro banned registered sex offenders from its parks in a unanimous City Council vote in September. It was one of a number of N.C. cities to create such an ordinance after the state Supreme Court upheld a similar law in Woodfin.

But many on the High Point council said they weren’t sure about approving such a law simply because they could.

“We have not had a case of a sex offender problem in our parks to this point,” Alexander said. He was cut off by Councilman Mike Pugh, who asked, “And why would we want to?”

-Note, there isn't a single report or study anywhere showing that, crimes committed by registered sex offenders in parks are reduced or eliminated by a parks ban. Apparently Councilman Pugh ignores research for some personal reasons, if such is hatred of RSOs, then that is an incorrect -if not illegal- reason for passing such a law. Public safety issues are resolved based on valid research not personal hatreds.

Pugh was the only councilman who pushed for the ordinance to be passed as written and the only one to vote against sending it back to committee.

“I think if this prevents one child from being molested and one life from being ruined, then it’s worth our every effort,” Pugh said. “This should be a no-brainer. If we won’t take some measure we are basically saying we don’t give a flip.”

Others on the council said it wasn’t that simple. While the ordinance would allow sex offenders to attend public meetings or go to polling places in public parks, Councilman Ron Wilkins said it could prevent registered sex offenders from doing community service work.

Alexander said that unless police or city workers asked for identification from everyone entering a parks and rec facility, the ordinance was basically unenforceable. Parks and recreation officials were present to support the proposal but didn’t have answers for many questions about it. When asked how many sex offenders lived in High Point or in Guilford County, no one knew.

According to the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, High Point has about 100,000 residents and 134 registered sex offenders. Greensboro has about 250,000 residents and 313 registered sex offenders, according to the office.

“I am not saying I don’t care about this issue,” Wilkins said. “I’m just saying we need to know more before we pass something like this and we need to be careful.” ..News Source.. by Joe Killian, Staff Writer