In a fascinating twist to Sex Offender Residency Restrictions, a bill pending in the New Jersey Legislature (S2066) also seeks to restrict the placement of a school bus stop or child care facility within a certain distance from persons required to register.
The bill reads, “The Legislature finds and declares that public safety will be enhanced by providing municipalities with the authority to enact ordinances to prevent convicted sex offenders who have committed crimes against minors from residing within 500 feet of a school, playground, or child care center, subject to certain statutorily-enumerated exceptions. The Legislature also finds and declares that the public safety will be enhanced by prohibiting the construction of new child care centers within 500 feet of the residence of a sex offender at high risk to reoffend, and by prohibiting school boards from locating school bus stops within 250 feet of the residence of a high-risk sex offender.”
Read the rest of Florida Action Committee’s article
Ooh! This sounds like it would be a positive for us. This’ll put all the pressure on someone else for a change, which may actually help dismantle the registry when areas suddenly start running into roadblocks from creating needed public services.
Now there’s a switch. Government accommodating RCs rather than forcing RCs to accommodate the government. Boy, these ARE surreal times.
When I moved into my house 20 yrs ago (after conviction), there was a school bus stop within 8 feet of my front door. I was not on the website. I hated the kids being there because they were noisy and the school bus brakes squeaked at 7:30 am, waking me up every morning. But years later the rules changed and I was placed on the website. So by the next school year, the bus stop was moved. It made me so happy to have the noise go away. That was the only benefit of the online registry.
This is great! Put the schools and day care centers at a disadvantage instead of forcing a Registrant to move, be evicted, etc.