Cullman County to make entering a park a felony for RSOs

Since the state legislature will not reconvene until next year, there is plenty of time to counter this:

http://www.cullmantimes.com/local/x1037670704/County-seeks-felony-status-for-sex-offenders-in-parks

July 28, 2010

County seeks felony status for sex offenders in parks

By Benjamin Bullard T

he Cullman Times

 

CULLMAN — Registered sex offenders are finding recreation options in Cullman County harder and harder to come by.

The Cullman County Commission unanimously agreed Tuesday to join with other county municipalities in making it a crime for sex offenders to enter public parks. Unlike Hanceville and Dodge City, which recently passed ordinances making the transgression a misdemeanor offense, the county intends to make it a felony for perpetrators to enter any of the five public parks in the Cullman County park system.

In order to do that, the commission will have to get some help from the state legislature. By statute, the county commission cannot pass laws designating criminal offenses and must have a member of the local legislative delegation introduce a bill to incorporate the new law into the Code of Alabama. That, said commission chairman James Graves, will not happen before the start of the 2011 legislative session early next year.

“We passed a resolution today requesting our legislators to introduce a bill next year that will make this a felony,” said Graves. “So far, we have heard from (House district 11 Rep.) Jeremy Oden, and he is very receptive of it. We believe the others will support it as well.”

While a bill has not been drafted yet, the commission recommended the inclusion of language that would make “each entry into such [county park] areas, regardless of the time period between such entries...constitute a separate offense under this ordinance...anyone who is found in violation of this ordinance shall be guilty of a Class C felony.”

Associate commissioner Doug Williams said the measure is intended to keep registered sex offenders out of the way of locations—such as parks where children often play with limited supervision— that could invite repeat offenses.

"It's a statewide trend to protect our children, and we're using our ability as a legislative body to do this," Williams said. "We don't want sex offenders around our children."

Graves agreed, saying the law should help supplement existing laws by equipping local enforcement with a local ordinance that carries more weight.

“If there’s something lacking in the laws we have, then I’m all for giving law enforcement some more teeth in a law that allows them to do something where we’re having problems,” he said. “At Sportsman Lake in particular, we now have more and more children coming around with all the improvements that have been made there, and we want to make sure this kind of problem doesn’t arise in the future.”

Cullman County operates five public parks: Smith Lake Park, Sportsman Lake Park, Clarkson Covered Bridge, Stoney Lonesome OHV Park and Lions’ Club Landing at Cold Springs. Graves said Tuesday the commission had not yet discussed how enforcement at Sportsman Lake Park, which is wholly within the city limits of Cullman, would be handled if the bill becomes law.

Parents Push to ban Sex Offenders from ALL parks statewide

There must be something in the drinking water here in the Shoals-- it is a cesspool of Predator Panic and stupidity.

http://www.whnt.com/news/shoals/whnt-parents-push-to-ban-sex-offenders-from-parks,0,3704919.story

Parents Push to Ban Sex Offenders From Parks

Mary Stackhouse

Shoals Bureau Reporter

4:09 PM CDT, July 5, 2010

FLORENCE

Sex offenders aren't allowed in Hanceville city parks any longer, and people in the Shoals think it should be that way all over the state.

Last week, the Cullman County city council voted unanimously to prohibit people convicted of sex crimes from being on city park property. While one city council passes an ordinance to ban sex offenders from public parks, some parents in Florence believe a ban isn't enough.

They want a state law making it illegal for convicted sex offenders to hang out where children and families play.

Currently there are 80 registered sex offenders living in the quad cities. Parents at Deibert Park in Florence say parks are places sex offenders just don't belong.

The last thing Jennifer Blair says she wants to think about when taking her two kids to the park is whether a registered sex offender is around. That's why Blair says banning them from parks is a no-brainer.

"You're not going to change a sex offender. Once they do it, they're going to do it again. It may take time, but it just takes that one little click and they're going to do it again," said Blair.

Blair and other parents at the Florence park agree that it's time a statewide law was passed that would prohibit registered sex offenders from setting foot inside city parks.

Out of all four Shoals cities, Sheffield has the most registered sex offenders at 30. Florence has the next largest number at 23. 20 registered sex offenders have home addresses in Tuscumbia, and in Muscle Shoals, seven are listed.

"It actually scares me," said Blair. "Being from California, I do have my guard up, so I'm aware of my surroundings, but some people aren't."

Parents at Deibert Park say they're ready for lawmakers to step up and take action before any damage is done. If nothing else, Blair says photos of registered sex offenders should at least be posted at city parks on a sign, to make people visiting the park more aware.

"If it was posted at the actual park they go to, they'll know who it is who's sitting next to them or walking by them in the park and then be more aware and be able to put their guard up a bit more," said Blair.

Hanceville ordinance bans RSOs from parks

There are a lot of legal activities conducted in parks, so I cannot see this passing Constitutional muster if challenged. Alabama has certainly had its issues with segregation over the years, and this is no exception. So you can be arrested simply for being in the park while a registrant?

http://www.cullmantimes.com/local/x1703948294/Sex-offenders-banned-from-parks

July 3, 2010
SEX OFFENDERS BANNED FROM PARKS

By Benjamin Bullard The Cullman Times

HANCEVILLE — Hanceville parks became less welcoming to registered sex offenders last week after the city council passed an ordinance prohibiting persons convicted of sex crimes from visiting the city's public parks.

The council unanimously voted in favor of the law, adding to a growing list of towns and governments nationwide passing similar measures to prevent offenders from frequenting areas perceived to be fertile ground for sexual predators. The ordinance makes it a class C misdemeanor for a registered sex offender to be on city park property—a crime punishable by a fine of up to $500 and up to 30 days in jail.

Mayor Kenneth Nail said he approached the council with the idea for the law after observing news reports of a similar proposal the California legislature is considering passing statewide.

"I don't usually like what comes out of California, but I saw this and thought, 'that's a wonderful thing to do, to be proactive,'" said Nail. "We did this for the protection of children in Hanceville, and I think that's the only reason there should be for a council to do this."

The ordinance, which had come before the council in early June, was adopted unanimously when it came up a second time at the June 24 meeting. In addition to school facilities, four Hanceville parks will be affected by the new law: C.W. Day Park, Veterans Park, The Hanceville Recreation and Wellness Center and Donald Hamby park.

While Hanceville proper does not have a large number of registered offenders, Nail said there are a number of sex offenders who have a Hanceville address and who live in the southern portion of Cullman County.

"A lot of people believe Hanceville has a lot of sex offenders living here, because they have a Hanceville address," said Nail. "But we don't have a lot of them living in the city. The Hanceville post office covers an area that goes up to Cold Springs mountain, and to the edge of Good Hope—a big area; a lot of rural area.

"We have had, in the past, folks just sitting there at the swimming pool looking, and we didn't really feel they were up to any good. Research on the history of sexual predators shows that many of them are going to scope out playgrounds; they're going to scope out parks. And the council and I just did not want the convicted sex offenders sitting in our parks. If we realize someone is a sex offender sitting in our park, we're going to arrest them."

"And it doesn't matter where they're from, Hanceville or somewhere else," said council member Joanne Walls. "They can be from Timbuktu, and if they break the law here, they're going to be arrested."

* Benjamin Bullard can be reached by e-mail at bbullard@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 270.