March 15, 2013

Lawmaker wants new housing rules for sex offenders

3-15-2013 New York:

An Oneida County lawmaker wants the state to bar homeless sex offenders from being able to use hotels and motels for temporary quarters.

Legislator Emil Paparella, R-24, Utica, is urging state law be changed to require sex offenders disclose their criminal past when applying for temporary housing and to ban the use of motels and hotels for temporary housing for homeless sex offenders. He questions whether sex offenders and child molesters should be among the homeless people temporarily placed by the county Department of Social Services in local motels.

"This practice is unacceptable and creates an unsafe environment for children and families," said the North Utica legislator. His district is home to a number of motels not too far from the Utica Thruway exit.

Motels are not legally obligated to tell guests who is staying in the room next door, even if that person is a registered sex offender. Social Services is mandated by the state to provide temporary housing for homeless sex offenders and sometimes the only option is a motel or hotel, he explained.

"Our New York state representatives must find a better way to provide temporary housing for homeless sex offenders," Paparella said. "The citizens of this county will not tolerate having level 2 and 3 sex offenders staying in their neighborhoods."

He’s circulating a petition among his fellow legislators seeking their support for his position. The petition will be submitted to state officials.

Convicted sex offenders are not allowed to live or enter within 1,500 feet of any school grounds, parks or child-care facilities in the county. ..Source.. by RomeSentinel .com

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Im all for protected the children I have five of my own...but I disagree on this bill I believe in change but not this kind of cure and unusual way of going about it is it not enough that they have to register for life or maybe ever year is that not enough that a sex offenders face and personal information is posted on websites forever ..sex offenders are already sentence to life why make it more difficult for them to live a normal life ..it's not right, it's a violation of the constitutional rights.