BID FOR SEX OFFENDER CHECK HELD (Police union says law would violate a labor deal with detectives, who now do the job of verifying addresses)

Newsday/Chau Lam

To announce her proposal to begin random address checks of registered sex offenders, SuffolkLegis. Kate Browning paid a visit to the neighborhood with the highest concentration of offenderson Long Island. Homestead Drive, the Gordon Heights street where Browning and other officialsgathered on November 27 for a news conference, is home to 29 registered Level 2 and 3 sexoffenders. The Gordon Heights area has 65 by the civic association's latest count. The proposed lawwould have sheriff's deputies randomly check up on registered sex offenders in Suffolk to ensurethe accuracy of the address that, by law, they must report to authorities.

Just one day after touting the bill, Legis. Browning was forced to stall its consideration,after a police union declared that the task legally belongs to its members. Some sex offenders arerequired to register with the county police department. Historically, the detectives are theofficials who verify that the offenders live at addresses they indicated. Shifting that functionlegislatively would violate labor relations law.

(New York)