Police map out where sex offenders can live - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Bill O'Rights · 09-23-2005, 11:16 AM

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Police map out where sex offenders can live

DES MOINES (AP) - Police will fan out across the city next week to tell as many as 300 convicted sex offenders to find a new place to live.

The city's enforcement of a 2002 state law that prohibits convicted sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school or day care center is scheduled to start Monday, said Sgt. Barry Arnold, head of the Police Department's sex abuse unit.

Thirty officers will comb the city looking for sex offenders who are in violation of the law, he said Thursday.

A map made public Thursday shows tiny slices of land where sex offenders can live legally within the city.

"There are some areas close to the runway at the airport, along the river and a couple of areas in an industrial park," Arnold said. "There is basically zilch for places they will be able to live."

It took about three weeks to prepare the maps and identify registered sex offenders who will be affected by the law, Arnold said.

Only offenders who lived at their current addresses before July 1, 2002, or before a school or day care center was built are exempt from the law.

Arnold said officers will contact offenders and require them to sign a letter showing that they understand the law. After that, offenders will have 30 days to move, he said.

An offender who fails to comply faces a two-year prison sentence and a $5,000 fine.

Arnold said some offenders have gone to campgrounds while the weather is still warm. Others have found places to live in rural areas of the county.

Arnold said it could take weeks for police to notify sex offenders and then follow up to make sure they've moved.

"It's big, but we're ready to start," he said.

Police across the state have prepared similar maps showing where offenders can and can't live. The Iowa law has been criticized by civil-liberties advocates as unfair.

But Joy Darrah, a former child care provider in Des Moines, said that's not a concern.

"I have no sympathy for them," she said. "They waived their civil rights the minute they committed a crime against a child."

Wow...harsh. I'm not really sure how I feel about this. I mean, on one hand a large part of me wants to just say "Fuck 'em. Tough shit, Chester.". But, on the other hand, if you back an animal too far into a corner...it's gonna bite. If these guys are left with nowhere to live...then what?
Don't want a sex offender around...just open up a day care.
ahhhh...I just picked up on this part "Only offenders who lived at their current addresses before July 1, 2002, or before a school or day care center was built are exempt from the law." So, it is grandfathered. But, then again...doesn't that take the teeth out of law?

pattycakes · 09-23-2005, 12:13 PM

what if someone lives near an emptry stor front... then a day care moves in....it is in no way fair to make the convicted person move. they did the crime they payed the time so now dont screw them more.

sure its a good idea to not allow them to live close to these areas ( i guess ) but if someone alread livs there and a schpol or day care wants to move in the daycare or school should be told its not allowed

"Only offenders who lived at their current addresses before July 1, 2002, or before a school or day care center was built are exempt from the law."

maybe im paronoid but this says before 2002 so if they opened up a place now wouldit still be grandfathered?

Redlemon · 09-23-2005, 12:33 PM

I'm dealing with something similar; I'm an environmental consultant, and one of my clients produces asphalt. We have this new regulation:

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No asphalt batching or continuous mix facility shall be located in an area which is less than one-third of a mile in linear distance from any hospital, nursing home, school, area of critical environmental concern, watercourse, or area occupied by residential housing.

I've also seen similar regulations regarding the siting of adult businesses. There ain't much left when you draw those circles on a map. Regulations like this are just a way to ban an activity while pretending that you aren't banning it.

j8ear · 09-23-2005, 12:40 PM

Maybe instead of deciding where they can and can't live after they were released from prison...since they are clearly still such a danger to society that they must have restrictions placed on their available locations for residing...

WE SHOULD JUST KEEP THEM IN FREAKING PRISON.

There are few things that get me riled up like this...policitcally popular, feel good, do nothing solutions.

-bear

pig · 09-23-2005, 01:01 PM

Hmmm....I wonder what they do about hotels? Because if I was a molester and didn't want to live in Molesterville, I'd rent a hotel by the week.

Anyways, is just the bad touchers, or all sex offenders? I'm a little worried about the idea of having all the molesters and rapists confined in some seedy part of town.

I don't see a clear cut solution to this one, but I think these laws will be struck down in their present form if they exclude that much of the city, or else we have to accept changing the mission of our penal system away from reform.

Glory's Sun · 09-23-2005, 01:08 PM

seriously.. how many types of these threads do we need? They always end up going in the same direction.. 50% say "fuck em, they should die"; 50% say "they are human served their time yada yada".

BOR: Nothing against you man.. but I've just seen this way too many times.

IMO on the OP-- I can see both sides of the coin. Sure they shouldn't live close by those places.. but that should be automatic. There should be enough room for all people (including felons) to reside calmly. This is the reason why I want the entire database system and other areas pertaining to these types of people changed. The last sentence states:"I have no sympathy for them," she said. "They waived their civil rights the minute they committed a crime against a child." ---not all people on the sex offender registry are pedophiles or child molestors.

Paq · 09-24-2005, 02:40 AM

amazingly, i'm with gucci...a friend of mine is considered a 'sex offender' bc he mooned a police officer while drunk. I'm not joking, he had to change his major from music ed to business bc sex offenders are barred from teaching, from what i understand.

now, i do think that the law has good intentions, but i don't see how it can be fair, sadly enough.

definitely a conflicted issue.

pan6467 · 09-24-2005, 03:22 AM

I know some states (Ohio and AZ. being 2) have differing degrees of sex offenses, whjich is what should be done.

I mean mooning a cop, streaking and being drunk at a bar and feeling a woman up (all can be sex offenses, unless plea bargained down), are totally different and far far less dangerous than child molestation.

I have no fear of living next to a streaker, or some man or woman that were caught having sex in a public place, or even a prostitute (which in Ohio prostitution and soliciting (paying for one) can be tried as a sex offense, but are usually plea bargained into bigger fines)...... none of those matter or affect my life.

I DO however have a problem with living near child molesters.... however, what's to stop one from driving 1 mile or 20 and picking up his/her victim?

Bill O'Rights · 09-27-2005, 08:05 AM

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ELY, Iowa (AP) - This eastern Iowa town, which has no schools or registered child care centers, is considering an ordinance limiting where sex offenders can live to protect itself from becoming a haven for offenders.

As communities begin enforcing a state law that bans sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools and day care centers, Ely's city officials are concerned that registered offenders may flock to their city.

An ordinance to be considered when the City Council meets today would bar sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of city parks, playgrounds or the library, according to a copyright story in the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

Ely is a town of about 1,500 people southeast of Cedar Rapids.

Mayor Dale Stanek said the council is trying to give the town the same protection most other communities received under state law.

"The state legislators were trying to put forth a law with good intentions, but unfortunately it has a negative impact on some communities, and Ely was one of them," he said.

Aaron Anderson, the Ely city clerk, said the concern developed after local landlords began taking phone calls from people indicating they would need to move very quickly.

While he can't say for certain that the inquiries came from sex offenders, that "implication is certainly there," Anderson said.

The Ely City Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed ordinance at 7 tonight in the public library.

Fairfax Mayor Bill Voss said his city of 1,650, just southwest of Cedar Rapids, has a registered day care center and the state's 2,000-foot provision - about a half-mile - would cover most of the city.

But Voss said the town has grown, and he is unsure whether the 2,000-foot prohibition would cover all areas of the city. He said he would suggest an ordinance similar to the one being considered in Ely.

Bertram Mayor Darwin Harmening said he, too, will be talking to his town's council about a similar ordinance.

See, this is what I was talking about, when I made this statement; "Don't want a sex offender around...just open up a day care. ". Theoreticaly, all a community would have to do is open daycare centers in strategic locations throughout the community, and...viola...no sex offenders can live in the community, due to Iowa State Law.
Only Ely, Bertram and Fairfax, city officials are taking it one step further by instituting "ghettos", where offenders are, in effect, quarantined.

raeanna74 · 09-27-2005, 09:38 AM

But from what I understand if the offenders were previous residing at an address that later, because of a new child care facility was within the specified bounderies he would be exempt. I am curious as to if the law differentiates between child molestors and a kid who had simply sex with his girlfriend a couple days after he turned 18.

I could see this being a protection against repeat child molestors who move INTO a neighborhood frequented by children.

It would be a nice law to have in our city as there are scads of child molesters and sexual predators living in our midst. I am aware of a convicted 2nd dregree sexual predator who lived only a block away from our previous address. I am also aware of one within only a few blocks of our current home. I would want NEITHER near my child EVER. I have heard or read what the charges were and they weren't minor. I am actually surprised they aren't still in jail but unfortuantely that's a flaw in the system. Why not make laws to protect us from the failures of the system?

tspikes51 · 09-27-2005, 10:11 AM

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"There is basically zilch for places they will be able to live."

Fuck me, I thought there for a second that maybe they were talking about L.A. or something. Then I thought, "well, they're in Iowa, how hard can it be to find a place?" To make sure my geography of Iowa is correct, I got a map of it:

Seems to me that there are plenty of places to around Des Moines, like maybe THE WHOLE FUCKING STATE. There's nothing there. If they don't want to move, maybe they should have thought abount not being sex offenders. Hot damn.

Bill O'Rights · 09-27-2005, 11:26 AM

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Originally Posted by tspikes51

Seems to me that there are plenty of places to around Des Moines, like maybe THE WHOLE FUCKING STATE.

Ah...but it's not just a Des Moines city ordinance...it's a state law.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tspikes51

There's nothing there. If they don't want to move, maybe they should have thought abount not being sex offenders. Hot damn.

I'm not so sure that I don't agree with you. I'm just wondering if "herding" them into "approved" locations is the way to go.

Glory's Sun · 09-27-2005, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tspikes51

Seems to me that there are plenty of places to around Des Moines, like maybe THE WHOLE FUCKING STATE. There's nothing there. If they don't want to move, maybe they should have thought abount not being sex offenders. Hot damn.

Yeah let's just go ahead and re-instate the Scarlet Letter while we're at it

I'm all for child molestors and predators and violent rapists to be branded; what I'm not for is the 18 year old kid who had sex with his 15/16 year old girlfriend, or people mooning cops or people who didn't really harm anyone being branded. This whole "fuck sex offenders" thing is really crazy. I'm not condoning what they did.. I'm just asking- At what point do they stop being sex offenders and start being just a regular member of society? Never? After they are off the database? The current system is such bollocks.

stevo · 09-27-2005, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill O'Rights

Ah...but it's not just a Des Moines city ordinance...it's a state law.

I'm not so sure that I don't agree with you. I'm just wondering if "herding" them into "approved" locations is the way to go.

I like the idea of "herding" them into "approved" locations such as "prisons." Like bear said, if these people still pose a danger to society, why are we letting them out of jail? Why do they not get longer sentances? Society obviously thinks they are still a threat, thats why we have laws like this popping up. But our system still releases them into the public, while they are still regarded as a danger. Why are they even being released?

Until they fix the sentances that let these people back into the public every state should legislate this law and then build a day care center every half a mile across the county. Then they would have to go back to jail for breaking the law. Problem solved?

pattycakes · 09-27-2005, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevo

I like the idea of "herding" them into "approved" locations such as "prisons." Like bear said, if these people still pose a danger to society, why are we letting them out of jail? Why do they not get longer sentances? Society obviously thinks they are still a threat, thats why we have laws like this popping up. But our system still releases them into the public, while they are still regarded as a danger. Why are they even being released?

Until they fix the sentances that let these people back into the public every state should legislate this law and then build a day care center every half a mile across the county. Then they would have to go back to jail for breaking the law. Problem solved?

you pose just as much of a danger as they do.

Bill O'Rights · 09-27-2005, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevo

Until they fix the sentances that let these people back into the public every state should legislate this law and then build a day care center every half a mile across the county. Then they would have to go back to jail for breaking the law. Problem solved?

If they truly do still pose a danger, then I have no problem, at all, of keeping them in prison. And, for the sake of clarification here, I'm refering to rapists and molesters, not the kid mooning the cop, or the 18yr old banging his 16yr old GF. Although...he did know that she was underage. Oh well...that's a whole 'nother thread.

All I'm saying is that when they showed a map of Council Bluffs Iowa, on the local news the other night, after they had finished overlapping all of the circles around schools and daycare centers...there was a remarkably small "approved" area. Now, for the sake of argument, let's say that you lived within that "approved" area. If absolutely...nothing...else, it's gonna kill your property values.

tspikes51 · 09-27-2005, 12:15 PM

I don't think the law should prohibit me, a 19 year old guy, from banging a 17 year old girl. That's not right. They shouldn't count in this shit. The title of sex offender should only be given to true peterasses.

Glory's Sun · 09-27-2005, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tspikes51

I don't think the law should prohibit me, a 19 year old guy, from banging a 17 year old girl. That's not right. They shouldn't count in this shit. The title of sex offender should only be given to true peterasses.

ahhh but herein lies the dilema.. the law *does* say that's illegal (unless your state has a lower age of consent). So, this is why I have a problem with lumping all "sex offenders" together and everyone automatically assuming sex offender = pedophile. Say you bang a chick at a club and it turns out she's 17, guess what.. if mommy tells the magitrate, you're gonna be a sex offender. Did you rape, molest or hurt anyone? Nope, but now in the eyes of society.. you have.

tspikes51 · 09-27-2005, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guccilvr

ahhh but herein lies the dilema.. the law *does* say that's illegal (unless your state has a lower age of consent). So, this is why I have a problem with lumping all "sex offenders" together and everyone automatically assuming sex offender = pedophile. Say you bang a chick at a club and it turns out she's 17, guess what.. if mommy tells the magitrate, you're gonna be a sex offender. Did you rape, molest or hurt anyone? Nope, but now in the eyes of society.. you have.

Who says laws can't change???

09-23-2005, 12:40 PM	#4 (permalink)
j8ear Gentlemen Farmer Location: Middle of nowhere, Jersey	Maybe instead of deciding where they can and can't live after they were released from prison...since they are clearly still such a danger to society that they must have restrictions placed on their available locations for residing... WE SHOULD JUST KEEP THEM IN FREAKING PRISON. There are few things that get me riled up like this...policitcally popular, feel good, do nothing solutions. -bear __________________ It's alot easier to ask for forgiveness then it is to ask for permission.

09-23-2005, 01:01 PM	#5 (permalink)
pig pigglet pigglet Location: Locash	Hmmm....I wonder what they do about hotels? Because if I was a molester and didn't want to live in Molesterville, I'd rent a hotel by the week. Anyways, is just the bad touchers, or all sex offenders? I'm a little worried about the idea of having all the molesters and rapists confined in some seedy part of town. I don't see a clear cut solution to this one, but I think these laws will be struck down in their present form if they exclude that much of the city, or else we have to accept changing the mission of our penal system away from reform. __________________ You don't love me, you just love my piggy style

09-24-2005, 02:40 AM	#7 (permalink)
Paq Junkie Location: South Carolina	amazingly, i'm with gucci...a friend of mine is considered a 'sex offender' bc he mooned a police officer while drunk. I'm not joking, he had to change his major from music ed to business bc sex offenders are barred from teaching, from what i understand. now, i do think that the law has good intentions, but i don't see how it can be fair, sadly enough. definitely a conflicted issue. __________________ Live. Chris

09-24-2005, 03:22 AM	#8 (permalink)
pan6467 Lennonite Priest Location: Mansfield, Ohio USA	I know some states (Ohio and AZ. being 2) have differing degrees of sex offenses, whjich is what should be done. I mean mooning a cop, streaking and being drunk at a bar and feeling a woman up (all can be sex offenses, unless plea bargained down), are totally different and far far less dangerous than child molestation. I have no fear of living next to a streaker, or some man or woman that were caught having sex in a public place, or even a prostitute (which in Ohio prostitution and soliciting (paying for one) can be tried as a sex offense, but are usually plea bargained into bigger fines)...... none of those matter or affect my life. I DO however have a problem with living near child molesters.... however, what's to stop one from driving 1 mile or 20 and picking up his/her victim? __________________ I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

09-27-2005, 09:38 AM	#10 (permalink)
raeanna74 I'm not a blonde! I'm knot! I'm knot! I'm knot! Location: Upper Michigan	But from what I understand if the offenders were previous residing at an address that later, because of a new child care facility was within the specified bounderies he would be exempt. I am curious as to if the law differentiates between child molestors and a kid who had simply sex with his girlfriend a couple days after he turned 18. I could see this being a protection against repeat child molestors who move INTO a neighborhood frequented by children. It would be a nice law to have in our city as there are scads of child molesters and sexual predators living in our midst. I am aware of a convicted 2nd dregree sexual predator who lived only a block away from our previous address. I am also aware of one within only a few blocks of our current home. I would want NEITHER near my child EVER. I have heard or read what the charges were and they weren't minor. I am actually surprised they aren't still in jail but unfortuantely that's a flaw in the system. Why not make laws to protect us from the failures of the system? __________________ "Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama My Karma just ran over your Dogma.

09-23-2005, 01:08 PM	#6 (permalink)
Glory's Sun Registered User	seriously.. how many types of these threads do we need? They always end up going in the same direction.. 50% say "fuck em, they should die"; 50% say "they are human served their time yada yada". BOR: Nothing against you man.. but I've just seen this way too many times. IMO on the OP-- I can see both sides of the coin. Sure they shouldn't live close by those places.. but that should be automatic. There should be enough room for all people (including felons) to reside calmly. This is the reason why I want the entire database system and other areas pertaining to these types of people changed. The last sentence states:"I have no sympathy for them," she said. "They waived their civil rights the minute they committed a crime against a child." ---not all people on the sex offender registry are pedophiles or child molestors.

09-27-2005, 12:15 PM	#17 (permalink)
tspikes51 Fuckin' A Location: Lex Vegas	I don't think the law should prohibit me, a 19 year old guy, from banging a 17 year old girl. That's not right. They shouldn't count in this shit. The title of sex offender should only be given to true peterasses. __________________ "I'm telling you, we need to get rid of a few people or a million." -Maddox