TO ‘KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE’ (Landmark ruling bans more than two sex offenders from living in a single-family home in Brookhaven)

Newsday/Patrick Whittle

Brookhaven Town enacted a landmark measure yesterday that makes it illegal for more than tworegistered sex offenders to live in the same single-family home.  The ordinance, which townofficials and child protection advocates have said is the first of its kind in the state, isdesigned to break up clusters of sex offenders, such as the one in the Homestead Drive area ofGordon Heights.  According to a state registry Web site, more than 40 registered sex criminalslive in that roughly half-square-mile area.  Just before the vote, Councilwoman KathleenWalsh, who proposed the measure, said she was confident the town had created somethingenforceable that will create an environment where we can keep our children safe.  Parentsfor Megan's Law representatives have said the ordinance would be the state's first saturationstatute.  Laura Ahearn, the group's head, has said offenders will still need greatersupervision and help finding jobs to reform.  Town Supervisor Brian X. Foley said theclustering issue will eventually require a change in state law.
(New York)