Lawmakers in New York will consider a bill that would give Nassau and Suffolk Counties more power over how far away from schools sex offenders must live.
State Senator Monica Martinez of Hauppauge sponsored the bill, saying it would give county governments the power to set their own restrictions for sex offenders.
“Many of our communities are impacted by the amount of sex offenders that are in the neighborhood. And unfortunately, there are certain areas that have more than others, and we have to protect our most vulnerable population. And not only our children but families.”
The new law would allow counties to force a sex offender to live up to a thousand feet away from schools. It would not apply to parks or playgrounds.
New York courts have overturned some restrictions Long Island lawmakers put in place in previous years to keep some sex offenders from living near schools, parks and daycare centers.
