Nashua proposing sex offender restrictions

[KBCraig]

Nashua tries to join the club. Tollner is an idiot.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NH_SEX_OFFENDERS_NHOL-?SITE=NHMAL&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Sep 28, 2:21 PM EDT

Nashua considering sex offender residency restrictions

NASHUA, N.H. (AP) -- Nashua is the latest New Hampshire community considering banning sex offenders from living near schools, parks and day-care centers.

The ordinance, introduced by Alderman James Tollner, would prevent registered sex offenders who have been convicted of a crime against a person under the age of 18 from living within 1,000 feet of the facilities.

The proposal would not force sex offenders to move if they already live in a restricted area, or if a school, park or day care is built in their neighborhood.

Sex offenders also would be prohibited from entering a school or day-care center without authorization.

"We have drug-free zones around the schools. We should have sex offender-free zones around the schools as well," said Tollner, who is running for mayor.

Tollner is running against Donnalee Lozeau, the former deputy speaker of the state House of Representatives.

She said it's difficult to restrict where sexual predators live because of the number of schools and day-care centers and homes in the city, she said.

The proposed city ordinance could drive sexual predators underground to avoid registering, she said.

"That would be significantly more dangerous," Lozeau said.

Tollner said he doesn't buy the argument that restricting where sex offenders live will cause them not to register or update their addresses.

"They have to register. If they don't register, they're breaking the law," Tollner said.

The ordinance had its first reading Tuesday. After being debated in committee, it will be brought back to the aldermen for a vote, long after the November election.

While well intended, the ordinance might be over-restrictive and unconstitutional, Alderman-at-Large Fred Teeboom said.

In a memo to the board, Teeboom wrote, "For me, the 1,000-feet restriction has questionable justification, is anecdotally unproven to prevent the danger it purports to protect against, stands on very dubious legal and constitutional foundation, and opens the city to potential lawsuits."

Teeboom has asked the city's deputy corporation counsel for an opinion about the viability of the ordinance.

[LaurieP]

Fortunately Tollner sounds like and idiot when you read what he says in the articles.  He's pushing the same BS lines that the preceeding idiots propogated.  It's for the children.... who wouldnt want to make them safer.  Nashua has 70 registered sex offenders amongst a population of approx 87,000..  That's approx 1243 people per sex offender.  I know from personal fact finding that at least 2 of these guys are statutory rape cases.. and I bet there are more.   But besides that... residency restrictions are based on the stranger danger myth.  That a stranger is going to grab your children where they congregate (because after all what better place to find some kid... what are the odds parents will 'congregate' where kids congregate??  no one's watching them, right???)  Truth is the overwhelming majority of child victimizations happen in the home.  Apparently Tollner hasnt considered the idea that residency restrictions will do nothing to prevent the pervert from victimizing the poor child whose offender lives 3 feet from her bedroom door (you're more typical scenario of abuse).  Further the majority of new prosections for sex crimes are by someone who has never had a conviction before... so much for targeting sex offenders as a whole... since the restriction only applies to 'registered' offenders.  I dont necessarily agree that these restrictions will drive RSO's underground as a whole... but they certainly arent effective measures that keep our children safe and they uproot families.  The grandfather clause will not apply to renters.. which your vast majority of RSO's are renting since they cant find productive employment.  And one can only imagine an unstable living arrangement does for a potentially already unstable offender.

And what about the spouses and children of these offenders?  Does no one care that they are subject to these restrictions and that they have to move and be outed from their schools and homes (if renting)?  *sigh* 

I already left a message for Teeboom who belives these types of restrictions are ill advised and counterproductive to share some info with him and plan to mail information and letters to all the Nashua Aldermen this week. The insanity has to stop.. I feel like Susan Powter lately...   

[J’raxis 270145]

Looks like this guy needs to be informed of what's already going on in Manchester:—
http://cursor.eprci.com/events/manchester/

[KBCraig]

My favorite line:

"They have to register. If they don't register, they're breaking the law," Tollner said.

Does he think true offenders (rapists, child molesters) are law-abiding citizens? That makes as much sense as trying to control crime by banning guns!

[Fragilityh14]

I'm so tired of this moral panic.

Has anyone heard about the most recent ridiculously outrageous child pornography case all over the news? It's a really horrific story, but being as it doesn't affect the nation as a whole in any way, it is essentially just people trying to create a mass hysteria.

and obviously things like that happening to a child is terrible, but I am reasonably sure societies attitude exacerbates the problem in a horrible way, and a whole lot of sex offenders aren't actually predatorial/interested in children.

[J’raxis 270145]

My favorite line:

"They have to register. If they don't register, they're breaking the law," Tollner said.

Does he think true offenders (rapists, child molesters) are law-abiding citizens? That makes as much sense as trying to control crime by banning guns!

Perhaps we ought to just ban criminals. If there are still criminals, they're breaking the law. There, crime problem solved, forever.

[J’raxis 270145]

Has anyone heard about the most recent ridiculously outrageous child pornography case all over the news? It's a really horrific story, but being as it doesn't affect the nation as a whole in any way, it is essentially just people trying to create a mass hysteria.

Yeah, that's the case that grew out of this story, isn't it? They were talking about that over on FTL's board.

[John C]

My favorite line:

"They have to register. If they don't register, they're breaking the law," Tollner said.

LOL. I love that line too.

Drug free zone, Gun free zone, sex offender free zone....... Good Grief!

[J’raxis 270145]

I've continued this discussion over at our new political forum:—
http://www.nhliberty.org/forum/index.php?topic=79.0