By
UZO AKUJUO
As our children make their way to and from school each day and play in the
parks and playgrounds of Southeast Queens, there are convicted sex offenders living in
their midst.
The most recent statistics show that out of the 9,433 sex offenders
registered in the state, 582 of them live in Queens – six of which are designated
high-risk level three offenders, according to the Division of Criminal Justice Services.
The level three designation means that parents can call a special New York
State hotline or contact their local precinct to find out where sex offenders live, what
they were convicted of, how much time they served, and get a photo of what they look like.
The availability of this information is a result of what is known as
"Megan’s Law" which became state law in New York in 1995.
After the murders of two New Jersey children
(Megan Kanka and Amanda Weingert) by a convicted rapist, New York State joined other
states across the country in signing on to the Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA) in
July of 1995.
Who are the people on your block? Out of the nearly 10,000
registered sex offenders in the state,
582 live in Queens.
PRESS Photos by Ira Cohen
|
The purpose of the act was to establish a registry to
track convicted sex offenders in the state and provide public access to information when a
convicted criminal moves into the neighborhood.
In 1994, as part of its crime bill, the United States
Congress passed the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender
Registration Act, requiring states to create registries of sex offenders.
Any state which did not comply would lose 10 percent of its
federal crime control grant under the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law
Enforcement Assistance Program.
Now, every individual convicted of certain sex offenses
– including statutory rape or child molestation – since the act took effect in
1996, are required to register with the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).
If a person was convicted before the effective date, he
must still register if he was incarcerated or under parole or probation supervision on
SORA’s effective date.
A Matter
Of Public Record |
Once a registered offender
moves into the Southeast Queens community, the local police precinct is notified by the
state.
The police can – but are not bound by any state regulation – to
notify schools and other agencies with "vulnerable populations" of the presence
of level two or three offenders.
According to 103rd Precinct Community Affairs Officer, Detective Victor
Logan, if a sex offender moves into the precinct, the police disseminate the information
to the community.
"What happens is we get the information from downtown. We inform the
private schools, district managers, community council presidents, school district
superintendents, Archdiocese of Brooklyn and Queens, Board of Jewish Education, high
school superintendents, Lutheran schools, block associations. We tell them whatever level
it is. We are not allowed to give out their New York State identification number, social
security number, date of birth, exact address," he said.
They are also not allowed to give out the name, according to Logan, who
said that the police can give information such as the cross streets the offender lives on
and license plate numbers.
If residents want more information, he advised them to go to www.dcjs.com.
"It will give you everything you want to know," Logan said.
The 113th Precinct’s Jeanetta Williams said they also distribute the
information to school districts, the archdiocese and directly to non-Catholic private
schools.
She added that her precinct also informs local political leaders.
"When we get it, we disseminate the information to community boards,
schools," said Joseph Bonaventure, a 105th Precinct spokesperson.
Archdiocese spokesperson, Frank DeRosa told the PRESS that the
diocese continues the dissemination process.
At the last Community Board 13 open meeting held on February 26, the names
of two sex offenders who had moved into the area were distributed.
Unlike Board 13, Community Board 12, which serves Jamaica, Hollis, St.
Albans and Springfield Gardens, does not give out sex offender information.
"We get the information from the police, but we have never given it
out. The Police Department gives the information to the people. The information goes to
churches, schools, civic organizations. Therefore, I don’t have to do it," said
Yvonne Reddick, CB 13’s district manager.
State Senator Malcolm Smith of District 10 said that he does not get
informed directly by the police, but a staff member recently got information about a sex
offender in the community from a representative present at a community board meeting.
"I think the obligation is to let the block know," Smith said.
"I think for the most part, it’s a double edged sword," he
continued. "You don’t want the offenders to have rocks thrown at their homes.
But I think it has to do with the degree of the offense. The community has a right to
know. You do not want to put the offender in a situation where he may be tempted to commit
a similar act. It unfortunately puts the defendant in a bad position. But that is the
position that they put themselves into by doing something that most people consider
antisociety."
The senator suggested that while passing on the information, community
leaders may "offer some level-headed suggestions" on how the community should
react.
Getting
Tougher On The Law |
"The police should have to
inform the community boards and the politicians. I think it is ridiculous for them to not
do so. If the Police Department is to protect and serve, I think it should do that. It
does not stop them from policing the community if the people start to act in a way that is
not in step with the law. The people have a right to know so they can be a little
careful," Smith said.
The senator said he would also support distributing photos of offenders.
However, he would like to see how much funding the dissemination at the
local level would cost before supporting it.
Staying On Top Of Technology |
Last year, a bill passed the State Senate
that would make sex offenders register their e-mail addresses so parents could monitor
whether their children are being preyed upon.
"There is some rationale for it with the problems on
the internet," said Assemblyman William Scarborough.
Since the conception of Megan’s Law, it
has been heavily scrutinized by civil liberties organizations.
Believing it to be a violation of the Eighth Amendment,
which protects against cruel and unusual punishment, opponents have dubbed it the
"Scarlet Letter Law."
Scarborough warned about the possibility of going to far
with SORA.
"It is an emotional issue," he said. He was
skeptical about the net being cast too wide. "You do not want to put a scarlet letter
on people," he said.
Information on Level 3 offenders is
available on the internet at www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us.
and at
www.dcjs.com.
For Level 1 and 2 offenders, anyone interested can call the
state Sex Offender Registry Information Line at 1-900-288-3838 and pay a 50-cent toll. The
hotline staff will search the database to determine whether an individual is listed in the
registry.
— Nick Buglione contributed to this story |
