Decatur Police and state Attorney General are claiming foster homes are the same as daycares

If what is in this media account is true, then the floodgates open up to declare every family with children a "daycare," thus exploiting a loophole in the law to banish all former offenders from the state by declaring families "day care centers." This is abuse of power at its finest.

CONTACT INFO

Decatur Police

Chief of Police:
Ed Taylor
Department Phone No:
(256) 341-4600
Department Fax No:
(256) 341-4605



Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange
Mailing Address:
Office of the Attorney General
P.O. Box 300152
Montgomery, AL 36130-0152

Physical Address:
Office of the Attorney General
501 Washington Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36104

Office Main Number: 334-242-7300
Consumer Protection Section:  1-800-392-5658
Office of Victim Assistance: 1-800-626-7676

http://www.waaytv.com/news/local/foster-homes-are-now-protected-from-sex-offenders-living-near/article_34a09132-d931-11e2-80d2-0019bb30f31a.html?_dc=963225002866.2384

Foster homes are now protected from sex offenders living near-by
Posted on June 19, 2013
 by Rachel Keith

DECATUR, Ala. (WAAY)-The Decatur Police Department is wanting foster families to know that they are now protected in the Sex Offender Notification and Registration Act.

The Sex Offender Notification and Registration Act of 2011 prevents more than 11,000 sex offenders in the state from living within 2,000 feet of a school or child care facility. The Decatur Police Department says that now includes foster homes.

"We've received notification of a recent Attorney General opinion which stated the section of the sex offender notification and registration act covering child care facilities also includes foster homes" said Lt. John Crouch with the Decatur Police Department.

Decatur Police are encouraging foster families to list their addresses with their local law enforcement agency.

"Then they can be included in the restricted areas where sex offenders are not allowed to live" said Crouch.

Foster parents like Gabe and Melissa Ross were happy to hear that option is now available to them.
"We have six children in our home and we try to do as much as we can but I feel like this law will really help and add to the security of our home" says Melissa Ross.

"Anything we can do to help protect these children is a great thing because they grow up with such difficult backgrounds, a tough foundation" said Gabe Ross. "Anything we can do to help protect them, provide safety for them."

One foster family has already added their address to the list with the Decatur Police Department and the Ross family says they could be next.

"We would consider putting our name on the list to help protect our children" said Melissa Ross.

Alabama News Round-up Sept. 2010

Not a lot happening lately but there were a few news briefs of interest this month:

http://www.decaturdaily.com/stories/area-news-in-brief,68082?

Decatur Daily: Area News in Brief 9/11/10

Sex offender faces charges

A sex offender is in Morgan County Jail faces charges of altering his criminal status on his driver’s license. Falkville Police Chief Chris Free said his officers stopped J**** D****, 52, of ****, for a traffic violation on Monday and while conducting a background check on his license, noticed he had colored over part of the license listing him as a sex offender. D** was convicted of first-degree sodomy in 1993 in Macon County for a sexual offense with a 7-year-old girl. Police charged D*** with sex offender registration violation. He remained in Morgan County Jail on Friday in lieu of $100,000 bail.

--Paul Huggins

COMMENTS: The state needs to repeal this scarlet letter law to begin with. It has served no purpose other than increasing the chances of social ostracism and vigilantism. And check out the bond set. A bit excessive, don't you think?

http://www.therandolphleader.com/articles/2010/09/22/news/118-county%20commission.txt

County gets unexpected jail expense

by Vanessa Sorrell Burnside
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 8:51 AM CDT

WEDOWEE-- Jail administrator Craig Davidson told the commission as of Oct. 1 the state will no longer do maintenance for the Live Scan fingerprint system at Randolph County Jail. County administrator Cindy Arrington said court funds cannot be used for this system; it will have to come from the jail's budget. Davidson said it is mandated they have this system for the sex offender registration and notification act. The county will have to pay for the maintenance and upgrades to be in compliance. The commission tabled any action on the fingerprint system until the new sheriff is elected.

COMMENT: Cry me a river, Randolph County. You wanted it, now pay for it! I wonder how many people realize how much it costs to have Big Brother harass area sex offenders. If they think it is bad now just wait until Alabama tries implementing the Adam Walsh Act.

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/09/birmingham_crime_rate_down_ove.html

Birmingham crime rate down overall; still ranks 4th in U.S.

Published: Tuesday, September 14, 2010, 5:45 AM     Updated: Tuesday, September 14, 2010, 6:12 AM

Carol Robinson -- The Birmingham News

Birmingham's crime dropped in every category last year, with the number of murders reported in the city decreasing by 20 percent.  Still, despite a 10 percent drop in overall crime, the city ranked fourth nationally in overall crime because of a national downward trend in crime, according to the FBI's annual Uniform Crime Report for 2009. In 2008, Birmingham ranked third nationally in overall crime.....  "Even though we are having a banner year in homicide reduction, there is no universal antidote or magic formula for this trend," said Birmingham Deputy Chief Herman Hinton. "Still, I believe that it's more about us expanding our community-based effort through prayer and prayer walks, along with focusing more on high-risk people such as probationers, sex offenders and outstanding felony warrants."

COMMENT: Considering sex offenders have statistically the lowest rate of re-offending by far, I'm scratching my head over the comment made by the B'ham deputy chief. Actually, all the social ostracism and harassment makes them more likely to re-offend. Idiots.