I think there is a MAJOR problem with statistics cited by Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone for the SORTS program:2-27-15 New York:((10-2-13 Police Arrest Registered Sex Offender For Allegedly Exposing Himself To Kids On L.I.))....((2-12-13 Arrest for Sex Offender Violation))....((2-3-13 Police Arrest a Sex Offender For Public Lewdness In East Northport ))....((Also see hundreds reported by Laura Ahern and Suffolk Police in news article following this one below..3-13-2014 Report: Sex offender tracking in Suffolk has improved..))Thats 3 arrests (plus hundreds in article below) of registered sex offenders, 2013-2014 Suffolk news reports, and there are more. Belltone cites 12 arrests in the 4-years prior (2009-2012) and ZERO since the enactment of his law. Do we believe the media or the lawmaker? OH one more thing, Parents for Megans Law cites several arrests and cites the SORTS Tip program for solving these cases. Clearly something is wrong here...
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone was joined by members of the Suffolk County Legislature, Suffolk County Police Department and Parents for Megan’s Law to announce the status of the County’s Community Protection Act (CPA) in the aftermath of the recent state Court of Appeals decision that repeals local residency restriction laws for sex offenders. The CPA, which was implemented in 2013(February according to news report), was the nation’s first public-private partnership to help protect residents against sexual violence.
“Sexual violence knows no boundaries and could affect all of us regardless of age and gender, and must come to an end,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “In light of the recent court decision, we are reminding our residents that Suffolk County has and will continue to enforce the nation’s toughest monitoring, enforcement and verification program.”
“This plan is comprehensive and it works, and the success of this program is in large part due to the dedication of County Executive Bellone, his staff, our Suffolk County legislators and our positive working relationship with Suffolk’s finest, the Suffolk County Police Department,” said Laura Ahearn, Executive Director for Parents for Megan’s Law. “We appreciate their ongoing commitment to this program and to our mutual goal of protecting the most vulnerable.”
“The numbers speak for themselves,” said Suffolk County Legislator Robert Calarco (7th District), “What we have accomplished in Suffolk County is a very proactive approach to dealing with this problem and reducing recidivism.”
“The Community Protection Act is working as we have an extraordinary level of monitoring,” said Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman (2nd District), “Zero recidivism is unbelievable as Suffolk County is now a safer place to live.”
“We have a phenomenal Special Victims Unit in the Suffolk County Police Department, and outstanding leadership by Parents for Megan’s Law,” said Suffolk County Legislator Kate Browning (3rd District). “This partnership helps us to make sure that we know where sex offenders live in Suffolk County.
“This is the strongest law in the country right here in Suffolk County,” said Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (6thDistrict). “There is a resource – Parents for Megan’s Law – that our residents can utilize to not only fully understand the issue of sex offenders in our community but to assist in the enforcement of the Community Protection Act.”
Since the implementation of the Community Protection Act, there are no reported cases with the Suffolk County Police Department of Suffolk County registered sex offenders reoffending in the County, a 100% reduction of sex offender recidivism. In the four years prior to the Community Protection Act being passed, there were 12 arrests of Suffolk County registered sex offenders for reoffending within the County.
The enforcement aspect of the program has lead to the Suffolk County Police Department making 44 arrests of those who are on the sex offender registry list for failure to comply. Also, nearly 100% of sex offender registrants were brought into compliance for failures to register home addresses, and 92% of Level 2 and 3 offenders were brought into compliance for failures to register work addresses. The public-private partnership will continue to extensively monitor the registry to ensure that all sex offenders are in compliance with County law.
Parents for Megan’s Law additionally highlighted that due to the Community Protection Act, more than 100 registered sex offenders in Suffolk County were removed from Facebook. Parents for Megan’s Law’s hotline, which is staffed by retired law enforcement personnel, has processed over 17,000 phone calls in the past 22 months to assist County residents. ..Source.. by LongIslandExchange.com
Report: Sex offender tracking in Suffolk has improved
3-13-2014 By LAURA FIGUEROA
A year after Suffolk lawmakers passed a law to intensify monitoring of registered sex offenders, a nonprofit found dozens of offenders who had provided inaccurate addresses and more than 140 others who violated rules requiring them to update their photos on a state registry.
Laura Ahearn, executive director of Parents for Megan's Law, contracted by the county last February to monitor more than 900 registered sex offenders, told lawmakers Thursday that the increased scrutiny has led to an increase in arrests for violating state reporting requirements.
"The Suffolk County [sex-offender] registry is more up to date than it's ever been," Ahearn said.
Last year's Community Protection Act, which was backed by Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, provided Ahearn's group with $2.7 million over three years to track sex offenders in the county and create community awareness programs. The measure also shut down controversial trailers that Suffolk had used to house more than 30 homeless sex offenders on the East End. Offenders were placed in county homeless shelters instead.
As of this February, there were 1,005 registered sex offenders in Suffolk, according to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice.
Parents for Megan's Law has hired seven investigators -- all retired law enforcement officers -- who verify home and work addresses. The investigators also monitor social media to determine if registered offenders have set up unauthorized accounts. Under state law, offenders must register email addresses and any social media accounts.
Ahearn said to date the group has forwarded 182 tips to Suffolk police for offenders who were in possible violation of Internet regulations including not registering email addresses.
Suffolk Police Chief of Detectives William Madigan told lawmakers that the tips forwarded by the nonprofit have led to an increase in arrests against registered offenders who have violated state reporting requirements.
In 2012, Suffolk police reported 156 arrests of sex offenders. Last year [2013], that number was 204, Madigan said.
"This partnership is a force multiplier," Madigan said. "We have more people now looking at the offenders."
There are currently 34 registered homeless sex offenders in Suffolk. They are required to call the department nightly to check in with their shelter location, Madigan said.
Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory (D-Amityville) said he was concerned that homeless offenders might be clustered in low-income communities, and requested an update on their locations.
"We have people who have committed crimes of a sexual nature and we don't know where they are," Gregory said. "My concern is those people will be . . . put in low-income and minority communities more so than other communities."
Madigan said detectives had "vetted" and approved 45 shelter locations "dispersed" throughout the county, and would investigate any reports of more than one homeless offender per shelter.
Legis. Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) lauded the nonprofit's efforts, saying tracking has improved.
"I know this is something our residents get worried about," Hahn said. "It's an incredible improvement over what we've been doing in the past." ..Source.. ...
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