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Child sex offender restrictions a challenge for CP

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About a month ago, the Cedar Park City Council received a letter asking that they look at making restrictions on the movements and residences of sex offenders. While the council continues to collect information about possible restrictions, the topic is proving to be complex.

Though the council hasn't taken any action on the issue or received any formal recommendations from the city staff, it's not something that has been forgotten or passed by.

In fact, it's on the executive session portion of the council agenda for this Thursday's meeting to discuss legal issues involved with any restrictions.

“We're still in the information-gathering stage right now,” said Melanie Carr, Cedar Park communications director.

One of the many issues the council must look at is whether they would want to make residency restrictions or child safety zones for sex offenders.

At the Oct. 9 council meeting, Donna Vandiver, an associate professor of criminal justice at Texas State University, gave a presentation based on the research she has done about sex offenders.

Vandiver said residency restrictions prevent child sex offenders from living within a certain distance of areas where children frequent (such as schools, parks and daycare facilities), but child safety zones restrict sex offenders from going near those areas.

She told the council that while there is no definite research that shows sex offender restrictions prevent the acts, she recommends child safety zones instead of residency restrictions.

“Do you want to restrict sex offenders where they primarily sleep or would you rather prevent them from going into areas where children are likely to congregate - while they are awake?” Vandiver said.

Also based on her research, Vandiver recommended that not all child sex offenders should be treated as a single group. “Only those who are at the highest risk level (to reoffend) should be prevented from going into areas where children are known to congregate,” she said.

Tom and Patsy Griffiths, who sent the initial letter to the council asking them to look into the issue, said they don't really see a difference between child safety zones and residency restrictions. They just don't want child sex offenders being in such close proximity to children.

Patsy said she does agree with Vandiver's recommendation for making restrictions only for certain child sex offenders.

“I have no problem with a recommendation to restrict child sex offenders who are at a high risk to reoffend,” she said. “From what I've read, the ones rated as high risk to offend, their rearrest rate regarding a child is almost 90 percent. They need to be restricted.”

While the council and city staff continue to collect information, “it's still too early to say what will happen,” said Cedar Park councilmember Stephen Thomas. “There are a significant number of legal issues.”

The legal issues surrounding any restrictions for offenders, such as will offenders already living near schools and parks be grandfathered in or forced to move, make the issue very complex.

Furthermore, with so many schools, parks and daycares in Cedar Park, very little permitted area could be left for sex offenders to reside if restrictions are made.

“We don't want to set restrictions so tight that they won't report,” Thomas said. “I understand the concerns and it's a very involved issue so we have to look at all situations.”

The issue came before the council after the Griffiths learned there is a loophole in the state law that allows child sexual offenders to live near areas where children congregate if the offender's discharging agency doesn't file a record to restrict the offender.

E-mail jenn@hillcountrynews.com

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