TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Tougher Sex Offender Clustering Law To Be Ready In 2 Months

ADVERTISEMENT

By MIKE SALINERO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 21, 2008

Updated: 05/21/2008 04:40 pm

TAMPA - A local law that will prevent sexual predators and offenders from clustering in specific Hillsborough County neighborhoods will be ready for the county commission in about two months.

Commissioners gave county attorneys the go-ahead Wednesday to draft an anti-clustering ordinance and strengthen an existing ordinance that prevents certain sexual offenders from congregating or lingering within 300 feet of any facility that caters to children, such as parks and libraries.

In March, commissioners asked county attorneys to toughen the laws after residents in the Palm River community complained a mobile home park was being used as transitional housing for sexual offenders. The park was 250 feet from a school bus stop.

While investigating whether the housing was being operated legally, Assistant County Attorney Sheree Fish discovered the Child Safety Zone ordinance, passed a year earlier, only affected sexual predators, not sexual offenders.

Sexual offenders are declared predators if they have committed multiple or especially egregious crimes.

Fish recommended the Child Safety Zone be revised to include any sexual offender who has been involuntarily committed to treatment after a civil hearing that shows he or she is likely to commit another crime.

"It's really a small percentage of sexual offenders who are highly likely to offend," Fish said.

Fish said the county attorney's office is studying anti-clustering laws from across the country. The law, which limits how many people convicted of sex crimes can live within in a defined geographic area like a neighborhood, has to be specific in how it addresses different residential units, from houses to apartments to duplexes.

Commission Chairman Ken Hagan, who pushed for the Child Safety Zone law, said he welcomed the attorney's suggestions.

"I think anything we can do to strengthen our laws to protect our children, I completely support," Hagan said.

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or msalinero@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT