Just saw a stroy about DC helping Sex offenders find homes

Most of the sex offenders that I supervise molested someone in their family or their girlfriend's children. My second biggest group are teachers, usually pled down, of course. No one wants a sex offender living in their neighborhood, not even me (surprise). Having a 1000' or even a whole mile buffer zone, will not keep all the children safe from predators, if it did, it would have already worked and I wouldn't have any more cases. This would make me incredibly happy, because I don't like people who hurt children, but this is my job, so I do it to the best of my ability to protect your children and mine. I don't know of any neighborhoods who want or don't care that a sex offender is living there. They are a reality, like it or not, and I think a lot of specialist and CC officers are just trying to find the balance.

Arent your new cases people who are not prior sex offenders - the 2500 foot rule is working in my opinion - most of the new arrests on past sex offenders are for not registering lately not commiting a new sex offense since these laws are driving them from our vulnerable children....

no offense Guest but as a tax paying citizen of this country..i hope and pray you are not an LEO drawing a check on my taxes. the way you talk and your opinion lead me to conclude you are a hate mongering individual who needs even more therapy then the average sex offender.....at least their crime is out in the open...while yours is in the dark and hidden....maybe we should shove all sex offenders and all hate mongering bigots like yourself into a room for 24 hrs...the ones who come out go free with no restrictions whatsover.....sound like a good ideal?

no offense Guest but as a tax paying citizen of this country..i hope and pray you are not an LEO drawing a check on my taxes. the way you talk and your opinion lead me to conclude you are a hate mongering individual who needs even more therapy then the average sex offender.....at least their crime is out in the open...while yours is in the dark and hidden....maybe we should shove all sex offenders and all hate mongering bigots like yourself into a room for 24 hrs...the ones who come out go free with no restrictions whatsover.....sound like a good ideal?

no offense but somehow I think sex offenders have learned about this site....the rules are good for keeping sex offenders from re-offending.

Sex Offenders on supervision are out there whether we like it or not, (and of course we don't like it - who in their right mind does!) and they have to live somewhere. Personally, I don't care if a bunch of them live in the same house/motel because at least I know where they are, and can make the neighborhood aware, and the police can also try to look out for any illicit activity. The harder we make it, the more of them will go underground, and yes, if they are caught, hopefully they will go to prison, but in the meantime, I am more worried about what or who they are doing when we don't know where they are!! In addition our beloved legislature, trying to pander to the public hysteria has "created" sex offenders out of some cases that are not truly sex offenders and if any specialist out there says they don't have any of those, I would not believe them. Lets deal with the reality of the situation and try to concentrate on the ones who truly are a danger to society!

[Merlin]

Sex Offenders on supervision are out there whether we like it or not, (and of course we don't like it - who in their right mind does!) and they have to live somewhere. Personally, I don't care if a bunch of them live in the same house/motel because at least I know where they are, and can make the neighborhood aware, and the police can also try to look out for any illicit activity. The harder we make it, the more of them will go underground, and yes, if they are caught, hopefully they will go to prison, but in the meantime, I am more worried about what or who they are doing when we don't know where they are!! In addition our beloved legislature, trying to pander to the public hysteria has "created" sex offenders out of some cases that are not truly sex offenders and if any specialist out there says they don't have any of those, I would not believe them. Lets deal with the reality of the situation and try to concentrate on the ones who truly are a danger to society!

I'll go along with that. I think the term "sex offender" is being used synonymously with "monster". Now that the rules directed towards the monsters are clear (well sorta) maybe it's time to focus on a real risk class system to identify the sex offenders, preds and monsters and tailor the rules accordingly.

Think about the average incest offender we have on our caseload.....now tell me how GPS or the 1,000 foot rule would have prevented him from inappropriately touching his daughter. I believe we are focusing on the wrong stuff. If an offender has a history of molesting someone he knows, and gets a new conviction and placed on supervision, is it more important we GPS him or should we be restricting him from living with children? According to 948.30 the prior sex offenders with new convictions are only mandated to get GPS. What about therapy? What about contact with children? It makes no sense to let a pedophile who's now on supervision for cocaine live with children. What were they thinking?

i dont' think even the average sex offender has a problem with rules...i think most of their problem with them comes with the constant changes....in some cases decades or years after their crime and release from any kind of probation/parole....i mean what do you think a judge would say if the legislature passed a law tomorrow that said anybody conviced to a drug offense 20 years ago now has to register once a month and have their photo and address and work information on the internet? that would be a major lawsuit....and they would win it....but for some reason sex offenders seems to be anything's allowed and the hell with the constitution...in no other crime can a prosecutor come in and announce to the jury " we think he did this last year or we suspect he did this to somebody but he's never even been charged before let alone convicted"......would be an instant mistrial with prejustice in any other type of case so why not here? i mean i thought according to you the law is the law and must be obeyed and if they can't keep up with the changes goodie....let's VOL them and lock em up....

[mystikwarrior]

They hurt property values unlike low profile drug dealers who stay out of sight for the most part.

I imagine the sex offenders stay out of sight just as much. Except for that TV van parked outside the house 24/7/.
Curious if you actually know the criminal histories of your neighbors up and down the block? Think you could sell your house for good money in a few weeks if it was common knowledge that a convicted murderer lived across the street? Especially if his victim was a neighbor he decided he didn't like?

most molest close to home I have read

Actually most molest in the home. As in the home they and the victim both live in. Most stranger offenses are actually perpetrated at locations well away from the offender's home.

The intent of the 1,000 foot rule was to prevent pedophiles from living across the street from a school, which in my opinion is a great idea.

Yes, but 1,000 feet is not 'across the street'. 500 feet would be equally effective. But I ahve to come back to the registry. Who cares where the offender lives if there's a registry and website telling everybody that is where they live?

How can this possibly have a positive impact on the reoffense rate?

Depends on which side you're on. Some here and elsewhere rightfully believe that getting an offender in prison on any premise is a 'good' thing. And with the latest trend of classifying failure to register as a sexual offense simply boosts the reoffense rate and helps prove that sex offenders are indeed incurable. Just look at all those 'new' sex crimes.

...(and of course we don't like it - who in their right mind does!)

You contradict yourself. You use 'sex offender' as a blanket term and then later allude that some sex offenders aren't sex offenders in the typical sense. Why don't you be more specific in terminology? "Sex offender" is a status due to regulations and has nothing to do with the actual sexually-related offense used to apply that status. A 'child molester' on the other hand is that due to the physical act of having molested a child. Likewise a rapist is such because they raped someone. So do you have a problem with 'sex offenders'? Or some sub-classification based on the actual offenses committed?

They hurt property values unlike low profile drug dealers who stay out of sight for the most part.

I imagine the sex offenders stay out of sight just as much. Except for that TV van parked outside the house 24/7/.
Curious if you actually know the criminal histories of your neighbors up and down the block? Think you could sell your house for good money in a few weeks if it was common knowledge that a convicted murderer lived across the street? Especially if his victim was a neighbor he decided he didn't like?
[quote:1cpn7cyb]most molest close to home I have read

Actually most molest in the home. As in the home they and the victim both live in. Most stranger offenses are actually perpetrated at locations well away from the offender's home.

The intent of the 1,000 foot rule was to prevent pedophiles from living across the street from a school, which in my opinion is a great idea.

Yes, but 1,000 feet is not 'across the street'. 500 feet would be equally effective. But I ahve to come back to the registry. Who cares where the offender lives if there's a registry and website telling everybody that is where they live?

How can this possibly have a positive impact on the reoffense rate?

Depends on which side you're on. Some here and elsewhere rightfully believe that getting an offender in prison on any premise is a 'good' thing. And with the latest trend of classifying failure to register as a sexual offense simply boosts the reoffense rate and helps prove that sex offenders are indeed incurable. Just look at all those 'new' sex crimes.

...(and of course we don't like it - who in their right mind does!)

You contradict yourself. You use 'sex offender' as a blanket term and then later allude that some sex offenders aren't sex offenders in the typical sense. Why don't you be more specific in terminology? "Sex offender" is a status due to regulations and has nothing to do with the actual sexually-related offense used to apply that status. A 'child molester' on the other hand is that due to the physical act of having molested a child. Likewise a rapist is such because they raped someone. So do you have a problem with 'sex offenders'? Or some sub-classification based on the actual offenses committed?[/quote:1cpn7cyb]

If a convicted robber etc. lived in the neighborhood I doubt it would affect property values because his picture and address arent on TV all day and it doesnt have the deserved stigma a sex crime carries (especially one with a minor involved).

The 2500 foot ordinances do work because it forces offenders to move way out in country areas where they are not in proximity to as many children which tempt them to molest again. (same as keeping an alcoholic away from a bar).

The only people that shouldnt be on that registry possibly are ones who had consensual sex with a 16 year old and the parents just pressed hard to charge him due to hating the guy for whatever reason. All pedophiles should be tracked as much as possible to let them know society is watching them....

Sex offenders molest children -clear you haven't read the statues.
Most of mine (90%) are what used to be called statory rape cases.
Your children are safe provided she isn't 15 (going on 30) and dresses like a hooker and has such low self esteem -old Jimmy (20 going on 13) looks good to her.

Sex offenders are the new N*ggers and this is the south

[NIGHT RANGER]

What do you want us to do? We all know that the news media runs DOC, why don't you just keep on doing stories on sex offender issues and I guarantee the "cream of the crop" in Tallahasse will respond with a policy change. As officers we do our best having to deal with the self rightous news media and spineless generals up at central office.

If I had it my way, I would put a good bit of sex offenders in prison for life and have them all castrated.

Now go and blow your nose Channel 8.