Forrest Wickman and Rob Naylor, NY Lawmakers Target Loophole Allowing Sex Offenders To Live Near Pre-K Programs, CBS New York
NY Lawmakers Target Loophole Allowing Sex Offenders To Live Near Pre-K Programs
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A law prohibiting sexual predators from living within 1,000 feet of a school is being violated every day, state lawmakers charged Sunday.
State Sen. Jeff Klein, D-Bronx/Westchester, said at a news conference that officials found that 12 sex offenders are residing within 1,000 feet of universal prekindergarten facilities “because these universal pre-K programs were not located within a public school.”
Klein explained that some pre-K programs are located in stand-alone facilities. He is sponsoring a bill to cover those in the existing law, WCBS 880’s Monica Miller reported.
“Just in this past year, 58,000 4-year-olds were placed in UPK under this program,” Klein said. “The number next year is going to rise to 72,000.
“What we’re doing, in essence, is allowing ticking time bombs to be living near our young people,” he said.
Added Sen. Marty Golden, R-Brooklyn: “Anyone … convicted of sex crimes are living within a thousand feet — anyone — get them out of there,” he said.
Last week, New York state’s highest court threw out local laws restricting where sex offenders can live. The ruling came after a Nassau County man challenged a local law and won.
The landmark ruling found only state law governs where sex offenders may live. And New York only restricts high risk or level 3 sex offenders on parole or probation, not level 2 or level 1 offenders.
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