NYC Councilmen propose new restrictive sex offender laws

Oddo, Vacca and Addabbo would do well to do some research first. The registered sex offender is not the problem. 97% of all sex crimes are committed by people who have never been arrested. Ever notice that lawmakers come out with these ideas right around election time? Can you say "anything for votes?"

The people who promulgate these type of laws need - desperately need - to go back and do some research.

85% of all sex offenses are new offenses (perpetrated by someone who has never been caught before) and 95% of all sex offenses against children are perpetrated by someone they know and trust.

If such a large percentage of offenses are perpetrated by someone about whom the registries know nothing - how do these laws protect the children??

It has been proven over and over by true professionals that these residency laws do not work. If the Councilman are truly worth holding office, they must research this proposal and retract it. I doubt that they will, showing their worth.
If the ordinance is passed, due to the nature of the city, the footage should be measured horzontally and vertcally. This won't be done either. Those enforcing the ordinance couldn't do the necessary math.

First the next NYC Council elections take place in November 2009, nearly two years from now, so I doubt this is a cheap election ploy (though the blind cynicism is impressive). Second, where are these stats coming from? Is it 97% or 85% of new offenses (or are those numbers invented?), and what is the geographic scope of the study you're citing? The US? New York State? NYC? Third, what does it matter how many offenses are carried out by repeaters? If even one child were spared the physical and emotional torment of sexual abuse by this legislation, wouldn't that be enough? Lastly, it might be wise to research the complete career and legislative accomplishments of individual public servants before deeming them unworthy to serve.

The answer is "no". It is not fair to say "even if 1 child was saved" to justify so severly punishing and restricting almost 700,000 people. Especially when all the research shows that these laws no not prevent future sex offenses. Depending on which study you read it can range from 85-95% of new offenses being committed by first time offenders. Even we take the 85%, that is so different from the faulty assumptions these laws are being passed with.

I would agree with this. Also, they should be barred from having email accounts of any kind.
Also, I think that married men and women who pretend to be single to engage in new relationships should be barred from doing this by making it illegal to lie about one's marital status. "Marital status fraud" (MSF) should be a felony. Many men and women have been fooled and used by married/separated people pretending to be single.

I disagree - the statistics are very real, take a look at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/crimoff.htm#reci...
As for an election ploy, SO's are an inviting and safe target for politicians -'Look, I'm tough on crime'. In fact, these various laws been shown to be much more harmful to society then not, by driving an SO who's trying out of his house, away from his family and out of his job.
An SO on probation or parole is watched closely by their PO's - but when that court ordered period is over, the non-reoffending SO should be allowed to 'get on with their lives' just as any other ex-con.

I disagree wrote:

First the next NYC Council elections take place in November 2009, nearly two years from now, so I doubt this is a cheap election ploy (though the blind cynicism is impressive). Second, where are these stats coming from? Is it 97% or 85% of new offenses (or are those numbers invented?), and what is the geographic scope of the study you're citing? The US? New York State? NYC? Third, what does it matter how many offenses are carried out by repeaters? If even one child were spared the physical and emotional torment of sexual abuse by this legislation, wouldn't that be enough? Lastly, it might be wise to research the complete career and legislative accomplishments of individual public servants before deeming them unworthy to serve.

i don't live in New York, but in Washington. i am a registered sex offender, required to register the address of my residence for life. This was the first and only crime i have ever committed. These laws do not prevent sex crimes, since most sex-offenders are first time offenders, and the average recidivism rate for sex-offenders is just 13%(among the worst of them) and most states have civil commitment laws and programs that determine which offenders are true sexual predators and those ones will never get out again, and 87% of offenders who do get out of prison never commit another crime of any kind, let alone offend against another child. Only education, not laws, can prevent sex crimes, in any state.
Recidivism of Sex Offenders: http://www.csom.org/pubs/recidsexof.html