NY- Update on East Rochester sex offender law

2-25-2009 New York:

Village lawmakers say it's a safety precaution but is a new law restricting sex offenders in East Rochester from living in certain areas legal?

The goal is to make the community safer but a new law banning registered sex offenders from certain neighborhoods is coming under fire. The New York Chapter of the Civil Liberties Union says the law is unfair.

The village of East Rochester passed a law banning convicted sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools, community and rec centers, playgrounds and parks and daycare centers.

Similar laws in at least two other counties in New York State have been struck down but East Rochester thinks it's legal and its right. Village Administrator Martin D'Ambrose said, “In a village like East Rochester we have a lot of kids who travel by means of foot, by bike and so we want to be sure that the areas that they're in are safe.”

“This is not a problem that local communities can address without creating a large mess.” Pastor David Hess is a member of SO-Hopeful New York. The group advocates for effective sex offender laws. He says residency requirements are counterproductive and ineffective.

Hess said, “You end up with a lot of former offenders who are homeless who fail to register because they can't find a legal place to live and there's just no way a bunch of homeless offenders who no longer will register, that does not make communities safer.”

Gary Pudup is the director of New York’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. He says, “In this particular case you have four people who have paid their debt to society, who haven't committed any more crimes are suspect of nothing and they're being forced to leave their homes and there's something fundamentally wrong with that. And it should strike us as Americans and New Yorkers as just being unfair.”

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 93-percent of sex crimes against children are committed by family members and friends, not strangers.

New York State’s residency requirements for convicted sex offenders require offenders on parole or probation from living within 1,000 feet of schools. ..News Source.. by News10.com