Posted on 05/26/2005 5:57:38 AM PDT by Quilla
Is a convicted sex offender living close to you? To find out, go to www.criminalcheck.com
Residents out enjoying Dothan city parks may soon notice something out of the ordinary on the park benches.
An outdoor advertising company plans to put the names and faces of all registered sex offenders who reside in Dothan on benches in five of the city's parks.
Earn Garner, vice president of Bronson Bench Advertising, said the company was asked by Dothan City Commissioner James Reading if they would be interested in donating advertising space to make the public more aware of convicted sex offenders living in the community
"We thought it was a great idea," Garner said. "We do a lot of community service for the Chamber of Commerce and the city and thought this would be a good service we could provide."
Residents using Solomon Park Wednesday, however, were cool to the idea of having the faces on benches.
"I just don't think it's necessary to put them up in parks," said Pearl McWilliams, who has six grandchildren. "Ithink people come to parks to relax. I just think it's unnecessary to go that far."
McWilliams said parents shouldn't have anything to worry about if they are watching their kids. She thinks it's taking the law a little too far because offenders have rights too.
Treba Hardaway agreed.
"Idon't want to have a face there,"Hardaway said.
Reading said he believes people have a right to know who is living among them, especially after the tragic death of nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford in Florida.
The girl was abducted, sexually molested, and later found murdered. A convicted sex offender with a 30-year criminal history who was living near the girl's home was later charged in that case.
The outrage that followed the Lunsford case has since prompted many states nationwide to toughen their laws requiring convicted sex offenders to register the names and addresses as well as where they work.
Reading said he's always been a passionate advocate of the elderly and children, but was prompted to take action after hearing that the city's zoning adjustment board had to turn down a woman's request for a permit to operate a day care because a sex offender was living in the neighborhood where she wanted to open the business.
"They had to turn her down because he lived within 500 yards of where she wanted to put it,"Reading said.
Alabama law requires convicted sex offenders released from prison to register with the sheriff's department in the county. The offender's name stays on the registry for 25 years. Sex offenders moving to cities with a population larger than 5,000 must also register with the local police department.
Before the sex offender can move into a neighborhood, the sheriff's or police department in that area must determine whether the offender's new residence is within 2,000 feet of a school or daycare. If the residence falls within the 2,000-foot zone, the offender must find somewhere else to live.
Sex offenders who fail to register or violate the terms of the community notification act can be charged with a class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
There were two recent incidents in Dothan in April where convicted sex offenders were arrested for failing to register their place of employment which was within 2,000 feet of a day care.
Reading praised Bronson Advertising for stepping up and agreeing to display the names of registered sex offender.
"It's a good thing and very community minded of them,"Reading said.
He would like to see that taken a step further by having all local media printing or displaying the names.
"It's starting to catch on after the death of Jessica Lunsford,"Reading said.
We should make 'em wear a scarlet "S" too.
Dothan apparently thinks the rest of world should know where it is?
sitting on a park bench, dum-da-dum, da-da-da-dum .....
Ah, small print at the website reveals it's Alabama.
I think this is a pretty bold step, one I'm proud to see taken. Yes, these predators are listed on the internet, but not everyone knows or has the means of checking for sex offenders in their neighborhoods. They're everywhere.
Maybe not the rest of the world, but at least people who read The Dothan Eagle ;)
I think it's a good idea, regardless of the location or size of the town. Hopefully a little exposure will plant the seed to have this practice duplicated elsewhere.
My problem with the "sex offender's registry" is the wide range of crimes that qualify. You could get popped taking a leak in public and end up being forced to register as a sex offender. When I look at the list, some of the legaleeze makes it very difficult for me to sort out the true predator.
I wish the list could be narrowed to include only predators.
bump
Oh, as a warning. I thought perhaps the benches were dedicated in their honor.
Not many communities out there without internet access at their free public libraries.
Agreed.
I think we should keep the benches looking nice and pretty. And just make sure we execute or jail these rapist and child molesters longer.
I get the impression that by the types of crimes written about in the article that only sex offenders of a predatory nature will be depicted on the benches. May be a good concept but I'd be a bit uncomfortable telling my young kid when he asks why that guys pic is on a bench. "Thats the guy that raped and killed little Sally Smith." Just a little more innocense lost. Well the courts turn the vile monsters loose on us so this is what it's coming to. Keep the bastards locked up or string them up.
Reminds me of my favorite political story of all time. My uncle had a friend who drove a Pepsi truck. He was making a delivery to a small town in southern Kentucky one time when he saw campaign sides all along the road that simply said, "Vote for Bob."
When he got into town he was making fun of the signs and saying they were ineffective because they didn't say who Bob was or what he was running for.
One of the "good ole boys" who ran a little store there put it to him like this: "Well, if you lived here you would know who Bob is and what he's running for. If you don't live here, you can't vote for him anyway and it don't matter!" :-)
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