SHIFT ON SEX OFFENDERS

Newsday/Paul Larocco

Suffolk County police yesterday unveiled a proposal that would intensify monitoring of thecounty’s 1,016 registered sex offenders and close trailers for homeless offenders on the EastEnd by dispersing them to shelters throughout the county.  Chief of Department James Burketold a county legislative committee that police will work with the Social Services department tomove the 38 homeless sex offenders now housed in trailers in Riverside and Westhampton into thecounty shelter system. He said offenders would be transferred to county homeless shelters, with nomore than one per facility. The offenders would be housed away from homeless families.  Police officers would be required to make regular checks on all sex offenders to ensure theyhaven’t registered with false or outdated addresses. Parents for Megan’s Law, anonprofit that works to prevent and treat child sexual abuse, would help with address verification.The group also would provide smartphone applications for residents to report offenders suspected ofviolating registration rules.  “I’ve not seen anything like this is in any otherjurisdiction across the country,” said Parents for Megan’s Law executive director LauraAhearn, noting that most municipalities only make random spot checks to verify sex offenderaddresses.  “This is more proactive.”
(New York)