Upper Arlington To Consider Scaling Back Sex Offender Registration Requirements

6-10-2013 Ohio:

Upper Arlington leaders are considering proposed changes to scale back current requirements for sex offender registration according to City Attorney Jeanine Hummer.

Hummer said the move is in response to decisions by the Ohio Supreme Court that suggest some of UA's current requirements could be considered "additional punishment" for sex offenders.

Hummer said city council will consider the changes for first reading on Monday, June 10.

Currently UA requires lifetime registration for sex offenders. Additionally, sex offenders cannot work within 1,000 feet of a school, public park, library or pre-school. According to Hummer, both of those current rules would be eliminated under the proposed changes.

Hummer also said UA implemented the current system in 2008. UA's requirements are in addition to state requirements for sex offenders.

Teacher Charlotte Gaines has lived in UA for 20 years. While her children are grown, she said she still worries for the many young kids in the area and the impact that the proposed changes could have on them.

"A sex offender commits an offense with a young child, that young child has to deal with that. Live with that. The sex offender can move on, go on," Gaines said.

Others like Marlowe Mavian said they understand where the city is coming from in trying to align itself with the most up-to-date law.

"Upper Arlington is a really small community space wise and I could understand how it would be difficult to find a job that isn't close to the schools. But they [sex offenders] made the decisions that they decided to make and those are the consequences that they have to live with," Mavian said.

First reading for the proposed changes will be at the City Council meeting at the Municipal Services Center at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, June 10. ..Source.. by Nadia Bashir