- By Dan Veaner
- News
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On July 29, 1994 seven year old Megan Nicole Kanda, of Hamilton Township in New Jersey was raped and murdered by her neighbor, a twice-convicted sex offender who lured her into his home with the promise of a puppy. Three months later New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman signed the first state "Megan's Law," which mandates active community notification of the presence of sex offenders who pose a risk to public safety. Governor George Pataki signed it into New York law in July of 1995, and a federal law was also passed requiring states to release information to the public, but did not mandate active notification.
Last week Lansing Town Councilman Bud Shattuck proposed that Lansing enact its own sex offender law. The new law would set limits on how close convicted sex offenders could be to schools, parks and places where Lansing children typically go. If enacted, it will be the first such law in Tompkins County.
Town Attorney Guy Krogh noted that local laws present some difficulties, saying that travel restrictions are the hardest to put into place. The issue of sex offenders with business in the Town Hall also came up, because it is so close to the Community Center where a childcare program takes place three times a week. But Shattuck said that offenders would just have to deal with the added restrictions, noting that they could come to the Town Hall during times when the Drop-In Center isn't operating.
"My idea is to protect these kids in the Town," says Shattuck. "With laws like these at least (sex offenders) will know that we are watching." Town Supervisor Steve Farkas says he frequently gets calls from concerned Lansing residents.
New York has the fifth highest number of registered sex offenders in the nation (March 2005 figures), with 20,969 registered. California has the highest number, with 102,616 registered. A nation-wide non-profit organization "Parents for Megan's Law" grades States on the level of availability of information about the locations and identities of sex offenders. They grade both New York's and California's versions of the law an F. Indeed, the information that is available on the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Web site is hidden in a sea of small type and links, and requires you to enter your own name and address before you can search the database. (See "How Many Registered Sex Offenders Are in Lansing?" below)
Because not all states mandate active notification, many parents have resorted to following up with the registries their states make available. Megan's Law defines three levels of Sex Offender, low-risk (Level 1), moderate-risk (Level 2) and high-risk (Level 3). The subdirectory of Level 3 sex offenders is available on the Internet.
Most state laws only require registration, so it is up to municipalities to enact their own restrictions if they choose to do so. Once enacted many have been challenged. "They are being challenged around the country," says Krogh. "Some were amended due to vagueness issues and others due to impermissible limitations upon constitutional rights. For example, if a registered offender was not convicted for a felony and local registration prevents passage by or presence within 1,000 yards of a school, how does that person travel nearby public roads for innocent purposes, or if the school is the approved voting location, how does that person vote?"
Enforcement of the law will be a challenge for the Town. While Shattuck said that he thinks that parole officers would enforce it, Krogh says the Town does not "have jurisdiction to compel the County or State to monitor Town Local Laws."
With approval of the board, Farkas asked Krogh to look into what it would take to create a law here. Shattuck suggested looking at similar laws implemented in Binghamton and Endicott. "They're in place," he said. "They have been challenged and amended. They haven't been re-challenged." Krogh is studying the issue and will report back to the board at its meeting next month.
| How Many Registered Sex Offenders Are in Lansing? by Dan Veaner  Curious about the level of threat to Lansing children I went to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Web site to access the Level 3 Sex Offender registry. Searching the registry is made simple, once you find the right link, which is not hidden, but is hard to find among many links provided.First you must type your name and address in a form. The site states that this information is confidential and that they require it to help prevent a pattern of abuse of the registry. Next you are taken to a simple search form. I learned there are currently 22 registered Level 3 sex offenders in Tompkins County. Half of those are registered in Ithaca. Two are registered in Lansing's 14882 ZIP code. Because Lansing is divided among many ZIP codes I also checked Groton and Etna -- neither had any registered. The information on an offender is detailed, including a description and picture, reported address, a list of conviction charges, length of sentence, identifying marks, aliases, employer information, description and licence plate numbers of vehicles, restrictions and descriptions of offenses. There is even a link to a Mapquest map showing where the offender's residence is located. For one of Lansing's two sexual offenders "Special Conditions" are listed as "Seek, Obtain, Maintain Employment, No contact with minors, No alcohol, Drug treatment, No contact with victim, Mandatory sex offender counseling program, Not to frequent places selling alcohol primarily for on site consumption, Submit to substance abuse testing, No drivers license, Curfew, No operation of a motor vehicle." The Department of Correctional Services also has an Internet based look-up where you can find the current location of former prison inmates. This yields less information that the sex offender registry. Next I went to the County Web site, on the Sherrif Department's section of the site (Click here to view). You can just go there -- you are not required to enter your name or other information. They only show 12 Level 3 offenders in Tompkins County, with all the information available on the State site. They also list of 23 Level 2 sex offenders. One, a woman, is in the 14882 Lansing ZIP code. She is one of three women listed on the site. This site has color pictures along with all the information you might find on the State site. However, addresses and otherinformation is not listed for Level 2 offenders. They are identified by ZIP code and name, and the color pictures are much better than the black and white ones on the State site. I have to say it was a shock to learn that Level 3 sex offenders live in neighborhoods I am familiar with, neither location that far from the school campus. I realize they have to live somewhere, but it makes a parent think when you see it in black and white. |
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